When Opposites Attract
by Infinity Guitars
Summary: Flaky's the new girl in Happy Tree Town. After she gets used to school, she notices somebody who's different from the others, Flippy, and she instantly falls for him- despite the warnings from everyone else. But when Flippy notices her too, will Flaky's life be at stake? Humanized. Rated T for violence, suggestive themes, and language. Don't like the pairing? Don't read. :3 Kthxbye
1. Welcome To Happy Tree

Yep, this is a Flippy x Flaky story! Be warned, later on there will be romance, drama, violence, suggestive scenes, and language!

Hope you enjoy ^.^;

~Infinity Guitars

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When Opposites Attract - Chapter 1

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I sighed, looking out the window of the moving truck, irritated that I was stuck in traffic. The glare of the sun made it hard to see outside, and instead, I saw my reflection. My long, spiky red hair tumbled down to my back, and I attempted to keep it under control with a few clips here and there. Some of my friends envied me for it, I had no idea why, it was almost impossible to tame. They also liked my light red eyes. I hated them, I looked like a monster. Or a bad picture with the red-eye effect.

The honk of an aggravated driver jolted me out of my thoughts, and I quickly started to drive the car again, a blush flooding my cheeks. I managed to keep my hands steady on the wheel, knowing I was driving a huge moving truck with the ability to wipe the other cars out of existence with one mistake. I had decided to move out of the city, tired of... well, everything about it in general. It was too noisy; I could barely hear myself think (I thought to myself a lot) and it wasn't the safest place for a clumsy person like myself to live anyway. That and I had a major case of anxiety.

So for the sake of the others around me, and myself, I moved to a nice small town. Where it would be quiet, and most importantly; safe. I turned off the highway onto an exit, and smiled lightly as I read a sign indicating the town was only two miles away. I felt myself allow the car to accelerate, and I quickly made my way down the surprisingly empty exit. It was strange; the town, Happy Tree, in the pamphlet looked wonderful. _Who wouldn't want to live here? Or at least visit? _I thought, pulling onto a residential street. I stopped the truck in front of a white house, which had a red door, window shutters, and roof... in fact, every accent and decoration it bore was red. That was why I decided to buy the house; red was my all-time favorite color.

I stepped out of the truck, and sighed, heading to the back to begin unpacking. It would take a while. I slowed my movements as I took the first box, glancing around. I had the oddest feeling that I was being watched-

"Oh my goodness! A new girl!" a voice squealed.

I screamed, dropping the box and quickly turning around. An _extremely _happy girl with pink hair and a red bow sitting atop her head stood in front of me, smiling from ear to ear. She was wearing a frilly white and pink polka dot dress, and it bounced as she hopped up with excitement, clapping.

"Oh, I'm sorry for scaring you! Do you need help unpacking?" she giggled, peering over at me curiously with bright pink eyes.

"Ah... I-It's alright." I mumbled, picking up the box again. "Sure, I could use some help."

This girl was _insane! _I had never met anyone as... _happy_ as she was. She picked up three boxes at once with surprising strength, and hauled them into the house. I followed after, and set the boxes in the rooms they belonged to, remembering the picture I drew of what belonged where.

"My name's Giggles! What's yours?" she asked, setting the last box on the floor.

"I-I'm Flaky." I said quietly, opening up the box.

"Nice to meet you!" Giggles noticed me struggling to open the box, and she swatted my hand away with a laugh. "Oh, don't worry about that! I'll get Handy to unpack for you!"

"Handy...?"

She was already out the door, calling at the top of her lungs. I followed nervously; worried we'd get in trouble for making so much noise on a residential street.

"Handy! Get over here!"

A guy I didn't notice before stopped walking down the sidewalk, and he crossed the street toward us. He had bright orange hair that matched his eyes, and wore a perfectly white wife beater, jeans, and a tool belt. He raised a slightly muscular arm to wave, and I blinked in surprise. Both of his hands were bandaged.

"Hey, nice to see somebody new in this town." He laughed, and Giggles nodded in agreement. Handy looked, and sounded a few years older than us.

"Hi... I'm Flaky." I mumbled.

"Handy, can you unpack everything for her?" Giggles asked politely, despite the request being absolutely outrageous.

"Oh! Giggles he can't do that all by himself!" I protested, only to be interrupted by Handy.

"It's alright, today's been absolutely boring anyways. Nobody needed any help." he shrugged.

"O-okay... can you just follow this guideline?" I asked nervously, handing him the picture I drew of the individual rooms. "All the boxes are in the right rooms, I just want everything to be unpacked this way"-

He took the paper with a smile, and I immediately stopped babbling.

"Don't worry." Handy said simply, and he walked inside my house.

Giggles poked me, and nodded back over to her house across the street. It was identical to mine, only everything was pink. I noticed a bubblegum pink Smart Car in the driveway, gleaming in the sun.

"Now I can show you around! Happy Tree may be small, but it's easy to get lost here." she laughed, dragging me over to her car before I could object. I uncomfortably tried to settle into the miniscule space I had, bunching up my knees. I felt my hair brush up against the car ceiling, and I inwardly groaned, knowing I was too tall for this car.

Giggles slid into the driver's seat no problem, and started the engine, pulling out of the driveway slowly. For such an energetic girl, she was a safe driver; almost as safe as I was.

"Agh... I hate driving this slow." she whined.

_ I take that back... _I thought, clutching onto the seat.

"Alright, this is the school, Happy Tree Academy. The campus is small, but that makes it easier to walk to class." she laughed.

"Are those dorms?" I mused, noticing separate buildings off to the side.

"Yeah, but nobody uses them. Everyone just has their own house."

The university buildings themselves looked like they were straight out of an Ivy League college pamphlet. The brick seemed brand new, and ivy grew intricately up the sides. The walkways were clean, and kept clear from the leaves starting to fall off the trees, a sure sign fall was on its way. I knew instantly that I wouldn't mind attending tomorrow.

Giggles drove past the school, and pointed out the grocery store, the mall, the movie theater, a few restaurants and cafes, the flower shop, the library, the bank, the postal office, and everybody's houses- even though I'd only just met Handy and Giggles. I was surprised. For a small town, it had a lot inside.

She drove in a circle, quickly ending up on our street again since the tour was over, and she was allowed to drive as quickly as she wanted. Once the car stopped, I unclenched my hands from the seat, my nails leaving marks in the leather.

"That's pretty much Happy Tree! You'll meet everyone else in school tomorrow. Oooh, I'm so excited to show you around school too"-

"Ah, I think it'll be better if I found my way around myself." I blurted, exiting the car.

Giggles blinked, and shrugged happily. "Well, alright! See you!"

She gave an enthusiastic wave as I crossed the street, and I hesitantly entered my house, gasping in surprise. Handy got everything exactly as I wanted it to be. I double checked every room to be sure, and sighed in relief, heading upstairs.

"Oof!" I winced, tripping over a box near the entrance of my room. I looked down at it, and checked the label. _"Undergarments." _I blushed madly, quickly unpacking the box in my drawer. Handy was a gentleman too, it seemed. After I finished, I quickly changed into a tank top and sweatpants, flopping onto my bed. I wanted to get a lot of rest for tomorrow.

My first day of school.


	2. First Encounters

I had this chapter written already, I couldn't resist. :3

I already put the rating/warnings on the first chapter. Go back and read it if you haven't already.

~Infinity Guitars

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When Opposites Attract - Chapter 2

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The shouts of my alarm clock rudely awoke me from my sleep, and I groaned, fumbling for the off switch for a few moments, before finally shutting it off. I wanted to pull my pillow over my head, but I sat up instead, finally noticing the time. "Crap!" I muttered, pulling on my favorite burgundy sweater. I hopped into the bathroom, quickly brushing my teeth and hair simultaneously, trying not to spill any toothpaste on myself.

Rushing back into my room, I tugged on a pair of skinny jeans, and laced up my black converse, before throwing a few clips in my hair, and slinging my backpack over my shoulder. I bounded into the kitchen, grabbing a granola bar before hurriedly leaving my house. I didn't want to be late on my first day of school; that wasn't a good first impression at all.

I inwardly cursed at myself, regretting turning Giggles down for her offer to show me around the school. She'd probably have given me a ride, but now her tiny car was nowhere in sight. With a sigh, I hitched my backpack higher on my shoulder, and started to run down the street. The wind whipped at my face, making my hair fly around wildly. I kept a steady pace anyway, and soon found myself in front of the school.

I burst into the main building, and a woman at the front desk looked up at me with violet eyes, blowing her short and curly purple hair out of her face.

"Ah... hi. I'm the new student, F-flaky." I stuttered, struggling to regain my breath.

"Just call me Lammy, dear." she said politely, and she turned to get a manila file in the desk behind her.

I waited patiently, noticing a plastic pickle sitting atop her desk. It had a top hat and a pair of googly eyes pasted onto the surface. I arched an eyebrow, poking the pickle to have it squeak in protest. It must have been a stress doll. I quickly withdrew my hand, seeing Lammy turn around.

"Here you go, Flaky." she said, handing me a schedule. I took it gratefully, timidly smiling at Lammy.

"Th-thank you."

She waved me along, with a motherly look of worry in her young eyes. "Go on, now. You're late for class."

I felt my face turn bright red as I travelled down the halls, searching for my homeroom. Despite my efforts, I was still late for school. I hoped my teacher wouldn't make a fuss about it, since it was my first day.

After walking down halls and trudging up stairways, I finally reached the door that read _Room 208. _I opened it as quietly as I could, but everyone instantly looked towards the doorway anyway. I sighed, opening the door fully, and stepped inside. The teacher introduced himself as Mr. S. He was gangly, and had a periwinkle pair of eyes behind thick glasses, with short, well kept hair to match. He also had a very large nose. I struggled not to laugh.

"Ah, you must be the new student. Class, this is Flaky."

I was met with a chorus of _Hello's _and _Hi's. _The teacher handed me a textbook, and a paper that said: _"Welcome To Chemistry: Course 3." _So I was placed in the advanced chemistry class. I mean, that was fine with me; I understood everything. But I didn't work well in high pressure situations. Especially the ones that involved explosive chemicals.

"Why don't you sit over... there?"

I looked to where Mr. S. pointed, to see an empty lab table. I glanced back at him in confusion.

"I-It's empty..."

"Your partner isn't here right now, he left class. I'm sure he'll be alright tomorrow."

"Alright? What do you mean...?" I trailed off; seeing Mr. S. was suddenly involved in whatever was on his clipboard. I sighed, and walked down the aisle to my seat, feeling everyone watch me as I did so. I let my hair cover my face, averting my eyes from every person in the room for the rest of class.

I looked over to the other seat, where my partner was supposed to be. _Where did he go? And what did Mr. S. mean by "alright"? _I thought, noticing a few stray marks on the wooden part of the table. I investigated further, and I saw deep cuts and gashes in the wood. I held back a gasp, inching back in my chair. Whoever my partner was, he obviously wasn't happy in class. _What the hell happened?_

I looked back up to the board, and frantically scribbled down the notes that were there in my notebook. The other students were already done with their work, and they idly chatted with each other, waiting for the bell to ring. I finished up the notes, and shut my notebook, only to drop my pencil in my haste.

I blinked in surprise when I saw my pencil being handed back to me. The boy was sitting at the table across the aisle from mine. His bright yellow eyes looked like stars, almost, and his hair was as yellow as my pencil. He wore a yellow hoodie, jeans, and strangely, a pair of pink bunny slippers. I blinked in surprise at his kindness, taking the pencil.

"T-thank you!"

"No problem, Flaky. I'm Cuddles." he said, smiling politely.

"And I'm Splendid!" the enthusiastic boy next to Cuddles said. He had blue hair and eyes, and a red cape on... did the people here always wear peculiar clothes?

"Giggles told me all about you yesterday." Cuddles continued, laughing. "You really _are_ shy!"

I nervously looked away, causing Cuddles to immediately take back what he said, a nervous expression replacing the joking one on his face. "Oh, sorry! I didn't mean it"-

His apology was interrupted by the bell ringing, and the other students happily leapt up from their chairs, filing out into the hall.

"I know you didn't." I looked up, twiddling my thumbs. "I-It's alright." I mumbled, gathering my things. Cuddles gave me a reassuring smile. "Don't worry. Everyone here's nice."

"What about my partner?" I asked curiously, following him out into the hall. Cuddles paused, something flashing across his features that I didn't understand.

"...most of the time. Just be careful around him, alright?" he asked, suddenly all seriousness.

"O-okay."

"Cuddles!"

We both turned to see Giggles skipping down the hall at lightning speed, her hair flying behind her gracefully. She skidded to a stop in front of us both, and I gaped at her in surprise.

"Hey Giggles." he smiled at her, and I noticed her cheeks redden slightly before she turned to me.

"How was your first day so far, Flaky?"

"Not that bad." I shrugged. Giggles looped her arm with mine, and pulled me down the hall with Cuddles.

"Great! Because I know something that'll make it _better!" _she sang.

_Oh joy... _"What is it?" I asked, cringing.

"You're in my next class! Isn't that great?"

"O-oh. Yeah! Great!" I sputtered, giving her the biggest smile I could manage. Cuddles chuckled at my response, obviously seeing right through me. Giggles opened up a classroom door, taking a huge, dramatic breath.

"Ah, drama class! Can't you smell the pirated literature? The fake creativity? The washed up dreams? The"-

"You're adorable." Cuddles said simply, making Giggles turn bright red.

_Well that shut her up... _I thought in surprise, smiling at them both before I walked into class. It was obvious they liked each other. Whether or not they made it public, despite how obvious it was, I didn't know. It was my first day in school, and I'd already witnessed some form of drama _outside _of drama class. To me, that was not a good sign.

The teacher greeted me quietly, leaning against his desk. His hair was an identical purple to Lammy's, the same with his eyes. But his face looked sort of pale, like he just witnessed a crime. He wore a simple black and white striped shirt, and jeans.

"I'm Mr. M. But I let everyone call me Mime."

"Hi Mr.- Mime." I said, not used to calling a teacher by their first name. I could tell he was laid back already. That meant this class was practically a free period, and everyone would probably do whatever they wanted, without getting in trouble.

I liked him already.

Giggles quickly walked into the classroom, her cheeks still red, and she sat me at a desk next to hers. A girl looked back at me, and Giggles nodded her over with a smile.

"Flaky, this is Petunia." she said, laughing.

"Nice to meet you!" she said politely, and I noticed that she enunciated every word perfectly. With Giggles, everything was a spastic run-on sentence.

Petunia had long wavy blue hair, with a lighter blue streak going down the middle. She styled it in a side ponytail that reached her midsection, with not a hair out of place. Petunia kept a flower neatly tucked in her hair, and she wore a necklace with a pine tree charm on it. Her eyes were a deep blue that matched her hair. She also smelled faintly of pine car freshener, for some reason.

"Nice to meet you too." I replied, and she poked at my hair. "...what are you d-doing?"

"Counting the clips in your hair." she said. I looked to Giggles for help, and she mouthed: "OCD."

Petunia had Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, apparently. That explained her need to count the clips in my hair. I blinked as she took one out, handing it to me.

"Sorry about that... by the way, you now have four clips in your hair." she stated, before smiling and turning back to her desk.

Giggles laughed at me, and I sighed, tucking the clip into my pocket. She hated uneven numbers too, I guessed. Suddenly the door creaked open, and Mime smiled over at whoever stood there. I couldn't see them because the door was blocking my view.

"Hello! Glad you're back, have a seat."

A black combat boot stepped out, followed by another. My eyes trailed up to see a green-haired guy clad in... well, almost army gear. He wore camouflage pants, a simple black t-shirt revealing his muscular arms, had dog tags hanging from his neck, and I saw the glint of a diamond stud in one of his ears.

He turned into the room, and looked at me in surprise, obviously not expecting me to be there. He cautiously walked down the aisle, stopping in front of Giggles' desk.

"Giggles, who is this?" he asked.

She blinked, smiling over at me. "That's Flaky."

"H-hi..." I stuttered as his emerald green eyes locked with mine. He smiled warmly, taking my hand.

"Hello. I'm Flippy."


	3. Twenty Questions

Thanks, to all the people who wrote a review for this! :-*

It'll keep me motivated to keep writing! ~(.-. )~

That and I absolutely love Flippy and Flaky together. ^.^; So, yeah! Enjoy!

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When Opposites Attract - Chapter 3

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Suddenly, Giggles' expression was filled with regret. She apologetically looked between Flippy and I.

"Oh, sorry about that, Flaky. That's Flippy's seat, I didn't know he'd be back so soon."

_Back from where? _I thought, trying to show my confusion to Giggles. But she was as clueless as usual, and went back to talking with Petunia. I glanced up at Flippy, and he searched for a chair.

"It's alright. I'll just pull up another seat." he said, shrugging as he pulled a chair over, setting it next to mine. I felt my cheeks heat up, and I ran a hand through my hair.

"D-Don't you need a desk?" I asked nervously.

"I forgot my stuff for class." he said, looking over at me. "I'm assuming you don't have the notes, so we'll just be lost together." he laughed quietly.

_Together...?_

I tried to laugh as well, until the teacher's voice brought me to attention. Apparently the class was in the middle of discussing Romeo and Juliet. It was cliché, really, but I didn't mind. I already read the play, for enjoyment.

"So! Can somebody tell me why, this famous relationship was set up to fail?"

A few hands rose up, silently begging for Mime's attention, perhaps to sound smart for the class. I decided not to answer the question, despite already knowing the answer. I felt the air shift slightly next to me, and I glanced over, to see Flippy calmly leaning back in his chair.

"Nutty?"

"Because back then, people were way too dramatic." a boy with neon yellow-green hair said, eating a chocolate bar.

"Ah... no. Splendid?"

"Because nobody was there to save them!" Splendid said heroically. I could imagine his cape waving dramatically behind him.

"Not quite... how about you, Flippy?"

A few heads turned to the back of the room, where Flippy and I sat. I blinked in surprise, wondering why everyone was suddenly so interested in what Flippy had to say. He looked surprised as well, probably not used to being called on in class.

"...because Romeo wanted something he couldn't have." he answered simply. Mime's eyes brightened; thankful somebody got the answer right.

"Could you explain?" he asked.

Flippy sighed, running his hand through his hair. "Romeo was a Montague, and Juliet was a Capulet. Both families already hated each other, and people died in that feud every day."

Did I notice Flippy's hand clench, ever so slightly?

"It was set up to fail, even before it started." he stated with finality, and the students looked to Mime to see if what Flippy said was correct. Mime smiled, adding his answer to the list on the whiteboard.

"Very good response."

I was surprised. Flippy didn't seem like somebody who would read Romeo and Juliet. Then again, looks are deceiving. But maybe he just retained information well, and was a good student. The thought made me glance over at him again, to see he was absentmindedly tapping his pencil.

_Then again... maybe not._

Classes went by quickly, in a blur of rushed introductions and awkward stares. Giggles introduced me to practically the whole student body, and while I liked having new friends already, I appreciated alone time as well. I definitely wasn't going to get it at lunch.

Giggles tugged me through a line of hungry people, and told me all the selections they had. (as if I couldn't read the menu) I wasn't that hungry, and took an apple from the array of fruits on a tray. Giggles laughed, taking a sandwich, fruit parfait, and soda. She paid for her lunch, and I handed a quarter to the cashier for the apple, embarrassed.

"You're definitely sitting with us." she chirped happily, sitting me at her lunch table. I was surprised to see Handy amongst the people there.

"Handy? You go to school here?"

"Ah... yeah." he turned red, immediately defensive. "I'm just tall. And my voice"-

"What he means is; he went through puberty twice." Petunia interrupted. The table snickered at this, and Handy turned even redder, before crossing his arms and looking away.

_What a temper..._ I thought, giving Giggles a look. She just shrugged, rolling her eyes at Handy before turning to Cuddles. Cuddles smiled, handing her a French fry as Giggles, well... _giggled, _and blushed. I suddenly felt awkward at the realization I was alone in a group of people.

Splendid had Nutty to look after, as he tried to get the boy to stop gorging on candy. Lifty and Shifty were busy talking about whatever twins spoke of. Cuddles and Giggles were flirting. And Handy and Petunia... I didn't know the deal with those two. But something was there.

I stood, quietly excusing myself so I wouldn't disturb them, and walked outside. There was a back courtyard behind the cafeteria, the paths lined with trees, leading to a clearing. A lone Oak tree stood in the center of the clearing, and I made my way over to it, sitting at the base. The rough bark was comfortable in a way, and I settled back contentedly.

"Flaky?"

I screamed, and frantically threw my hands upward, launching the apple into the air. After a moment, it didn't drop to the ground, and I looked up to see a fingerless glove-clad hand holding the fruit. I saw his reflection in the polished red skin of the apple, and glanced away.

"Sorry, Flippy..."

"What for?" he asked curiously, lightly tossing the apple up before catching it again.

I inwardly groaned, knowing I was sorry for no logical reason whatsoever. "For saying sorry? I don't know." I sighed in frustration. I was always so awkward, ever since I was a child. I never got over my fear of practically everything.

He snorted at my response, before lobbing the apple to me. I barely caught it, and turned it over in my shaky hands.

"What're you out here for?"

"I'm always here during lunch." he said thoughtfully, sitting back on the branch he was perched on.

"What's wrong with the cafeteria?"

"It's too... noisy. And the way people open those obnoxious chip bags..." he responded.

"Are you referring to people squeezing the bag, until the air pressure makes the cellophane burst?"

"...yes." he looked over at me, arching an eyebrow, before hopping out of the tree to land next to me. I flinched, clutching the apple tighter.

"It's cute that you're asking so many questions." he muttered.

I blinked, my cheeks instantly heating up to a bright pink. Flippy smirked at me, before walking down the path, and after a while, he disappeared around the bend. I stood up from the tree, and looked down at the apple, before tossing it behind me. I wasn't hungry anymore.

A rustle sounded, and I froze, seeing a flash of red and pink. Giggles sped up in front of me, a worried smile on her face.

"Flaky! Why'd you leave during lunch?" she paused, looking at the serene area. "And why _here?"_

I looked at my shoes, kicking at the ground. "Ah... I-I felt awkward there..."

"Well, we'll all be sure to include you more! You're one of us!" she went on, talking about how friends stuck together, and were supposed to be there for each other. I smiled as she walked back to the building with me, grateful for somebody like her. Giggles was overly energetic, sure, but she was a reliable friend too.

"...and yeah. Was Flippy there too?"

"Y-yeah. Why?" I asked as we made our way to our lockers.

"Huh. He always wants to be alone out there... I'm surprised he didn't make you leave."

I stopped walking, facing Giggles with a stern glance.

"Look, ever since I got here, everyone's being so... so _obscure _about Flippy! What's wrong with him?" I irritatedly asked in a hushed voice

Giggles looked surprised, and glanced away. Did I notice a hint of worry in her eyes?

"Flaky, we just don't want to worry you"-

"We? As in...?"

"Everyone. Especially Handy."

I thought back to the way Handy's hands were bandaged up. What happened to him? And what did Flippy have to do with it?

"J-Just tell me what"-

The bell rang, interrupting me mid-sentence. Giggles looked relieved by this, and she turned before I could stop her, rushing down the hallway. "See you after school, Flaky!"

I sighed, shutting my locker dejectedly. Just so I could put my mind at ease, I needed answers now.

And I was determined to get them.

* * *

Yes, a foreshadowing of what may happen next! :3 *laughs evilly*

Ahem, yeah... ^.^; there shall be something exciting in the next update! Stay tuned!


	4. Library Anxiety

Here's the new update! And there's a mention of a drug in here (don't worry, it's just Anxiety medicine, Xanax. Nothing illegal, and no illegal use of said medicine)

Enjoy!

~Infinity Guitars

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When Opposites Attract - Chapter 4

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When school let out, I watched as the students happily rushed through the halls, talking with their friends about anything other than classes. I slung my backpack over my shoulder, walking outside into the cool fall air. It was starting to get a little chilly outside, but not enough for me to wear a coat.

"Hey, Flaky!"

I turned to see Petunia, holding a blue messenger bag that was perfectly in shape. It seemed all of her things were in pristine condition as well. I lightly waved in greeting, and she walked over.

"Well, I have to finish up a report, and I wanted to know if you could tag along to the library."

"Sure!" I said excitedly. Petunia looked taken aback, and I immediately turned red, looking at the ground. "I-I mean, I love books, _and _peace and q-quiet, a-a-and I didn't get a lot of i-it on my first d-day, and"-

"Flaky, calm down!" she laughed. "I understand. Let's go!"

Before I could respond with a frenzied string of mumbling and stuttering, Petunia took my hand and rushed me over to her car. It was also in perfect condition and it smelled of pine... also antiseptic. The extremely clean, glossy blue paint shone in the sunlight, practically blinding me.

I slid into the car, and Petunia did a double check of everything before she even started it. Then she placed her hands on _marked _sections of the wheel, and kept them there the whole drive. It was peaceful, though. Petunia was the epitome of safe driving. Giggles... not so much.

Soon she pulled in front of a fairly large building, which was identical to the ones on campus. The sign that read "Happy Tree Public Library" was the only thing that made it possible to tell the difference. I happily walked inside with Petunia, and she told me to look around as she went to the computer lab upstairs. I watched her ascend the huge staircase, until she- and the scent of pine- disappeared.

Walking down the aisles of books, I inhaled, taking in the scent of paper. It was calming to me, and calm was definitely what I needed. I glanced around, before closing my eyes, and blindly picking a book off the shelf. I used to do this when I was a child, and read plenty of good, new books that way.

I struggled with the one I chose, though, and tugged on the binding, trying to get it loose from the shelf. I finally succeeded; but suddenly felt a massacre of books falling on top of me. Trying to hold back my scream, I squealed instead, and failed to avoid the books. They sent me to the floor, and I tried to hold back tears of embarrassment.

"...Flaky? Are you okay?"

I looked up to see blue eyes filled with worry. I also noticed a sign next to them, which said that the aisle was the encyclopedia section. I immediately stood up, feeling the stares of the patrons and librarians all around. My pulse immediately quickened, and I ran past Splendid, rushing out of the library.

I didn't care if I had a car or not; I was getting home. I urged my legs to run faster, and ignored the calls of Splendid and Petunia, who came downstairs to see what all the commotion was about.

The wind whipped at my face, and I attempted to keep my hair away from my eyes as I sprinted down my street. I eventually gave up, and dashed up to my front door, quickly shutting it behind me.

It was then when I sank to the floor, allowing myself to cry. It was so embarrassing! The most nerve-wracking thing was to try to face everyone in the library. They probably all thought I was a clumsy idiot.

_I... I am a clumsy idiot! _I thought bitterly, beginning to sob into my couch. I heard a knock at my door, and refused to answer it.

"G-G-Go away, S-Splendid." I said shakily.

The knock sounded again, and somebody cleared their throat.

"Ah... it's not Splendid. It's Flippy."

I looked up at the door, sitting for a few minutes, wondering what I should do. I stood up quietly, but didn't take a step towards the door.

"Flaky... I heard you rush in here and start crying your eyes out. I wanted to see if you were okay." he explained, worry creeping into his voice. There was a pause, and I heard him shift his weight outside. _"Are_ you okay?"

I sighed, and opened the door. Flippy looked surprised at my appearance. I was most likely disheveled; my face water-stained, my eyes red and puffy, and my hair a tangled heap because I ran home so quickly. "D-Do I l-l-look o-okay?" I mumbled. My voice cracked, and more tears escaped, before I started to hyperventilate.

Flippy's eyes widened, and he quickly walked inside. "Do you have a paper bag in here?"

I frantically gestured to the kitchen, gasping for breath. Flippy was in there for only a moment, and he returned with a paper bag, a plastic white bottle and a glass of water. He handed me the bag, and I desperately breathed into it, my respiration slowing back to normal.

"...T-Thank y-you..." I sighed, running a hand through my hair. I glanced at his hand, and noticed he was holding my bottle of Xanax. My doctor had prescribed it to me after I was diagnosed with an Anxiety Disorder.

"Did you take this today?" he asked.

I realized I hadn't. In my rush to get to school today I completely forgot to. Looking sheepishly up at Flippy, I shook my head, and gratefully took the bottle and glass.

"N-no..." I popped the cap open, and quickly swallowed the pill, following it down with some water.

There was a silence between us, but curiously, Flippy seemed to be the uncomfortable one in the situation.

"Hey... I know what you're going through." he said quietly, glancing away. "Just be careful, alright?"

"A-alright..."

_What did he mean? And what exactly was he going through. _My thoughts formed on my tongue, but I never got up the courage to ask him about it. Instead I walked him to the door. Flippy threw me a smile, before walking off to his house. My face turned red in the realization that Flippy was in my house. Also at the fact that he lived right next to me.

I closed the door, and groaned, walking upstairs to my room. I got my stress ball, and flopped onto my bed, tossing the stress reliever up to the ceiling from time to time. The repetitive movement was almost hypnotic, and my eyes grew heavy. Soon, I was asleep.

All I dreamt about was the color green.


	5. Bunsen Burners and Mental Disorders

I just made a few changes to this chapter. Don't worry about it. ^.^;

* * *

When Opposites Attract - Chapter 5

* * *

The next day, I set my alarm half an hour early. I had enough time to make myself an actual breakfast, not just grab a measly granola bar. After I cleared the table, I paced around my room, looking at the various outfits I set on my bed. I decided on a slightly long white t-shirt under a red and unzipped sweatshirt, thick black leggings, and red Converse with checkerboard laces. I brushed my teeth, took my medication, and managed to keep my hair at least a little bit under control, having attacked it with a brush for seven minutes.

Before I left, I paused at the bathroom mirror, and put on a little makeup. I never really had a use for it before, but I didn't care as much now. A new school meant a new look: and I didn't want to look stupid, like I did last year. Finally content with my appearance, I walked out of the house, and saw Giggles already inside her car. It surprised me that she was an early bird, but then again, I didn't know her that well.

Giggles saw me, and waved at her rearview mirror, before bringing the car to a halt in front of my curb. She nodded me over, and I smiled, sitting in the passenger seat.

"Ohmygoodness- you look amazing today!" she giggled.

The rest of the car trip consisted of Giggles complimenting me, and her singing along to obnoxious pop songs on the radio. Despite her bubbly personality, Giggles simply made me smile. The air felt... happier with her around; you couldn't not be cheerful with Giggles there.

After she parked in the student parking lot, Giggles pouted as we exited the car.

"I wish we were in the same classes. We're only in Drama together!" she whined.

"Then I'll hang out with you after school sometime. We should go to the mall, I mean if there's one nearby"-

"Of course! I totally want to give you a makeover!" Giggles squealed with joy, squeezing me in a hug. I sighed, hugging her back, before stepping back, gesturing across the lot. Cuddles just got out of his sun-yellow car, and hoisted up his backpack onto his shoulder.

"Is that Cuddles?"

"W-what?" she stammered, immediately turning red.

I smirked at her as Cuddles noticed us, and made his way over.

"You definitely like him, Giggles."

"C-Cuddles? N-no!" she whispered, her face turning a shade darker. "Besides, it wouldn't work out"-

"What wouldn't work out?"

We looked up to see a totally oblivious and smiling Cuddles, who looked a bit confused. Giggles squeaked, her eyes widening. I burst out laughing, making Cuddles seem even more puzzled.

"What's going on...?" he asked, looking between us.

"N-Nothing! Nothing at all"-

"Oh, it's something. I believe Giggles has something to say to you." I interrupted, taking the chance to give her a push towards Cuddles. In her nervous state, Giggles immediately fell into Cuddles, and turned beet red.

"Oh, look at the time! I gotta go, don't wanna be late!" I glanced at my watch, taking the chance to leave them both alone. I could still faintly hear their conversation before I got into the building.

"Why is your face so red?"

"...I-I-I"-

I chuckled, and walked up the stairs, glad I was starting to familiarize myself with the school's halls. The students flowed down the hallways, chatting at their lockers, some trying to drag on the time before they got to class. I took my chemistry binder, and headed to the classroom. I was on time, and saw Mr. Sniffles setting up beakers and Bunsen Burners.

"Mr. S, what're we doing today?" I asked, looking back at the students beginning to file in. Their expressions were struck with disappointment when they noticed the chemistry equipment.

"Working with chemicals." he said simply, tossing me a pair of goggles.

Oh joy.

Splendid walked in, but Cuddles wasn't there with him as he sat at the table across the aisle. I smiled at this, wondering if Giggles finally told him how she felt. Splendid looked at the empty seat, a look of confusion on his face.

"Huh. Wonder where Cuddles ran off to." he directed his look up at me, and smiled sheepishly. "And I'm sorry about yesterday at the library."

"I-It's okay." I mumbled, quickly turning away in embarrassment.

The last few people walked into class, Flippy among them. He spoke with Mr. S for a moment, before walking over to my desk, sitting down next to me. I gulped, thinking back. Cuddles told me to be careful around him. Giggles warned me too... what was so dangerous?

I glanced at the desk, and up at him. Apparently he was dangerous to desks-

"Flaky, what're you staring at?" he asked, arching an eyebrow.

"W-what? Nothing! N-nothing at all!" I stuttered, hiding my face. I could practically hear Flippy smirk, and he set a beaker onto the Bunsen Burner, turning on the flame. He gestured to a container of some sort of chemical.

"Well, ladies first."

I blinked, desperately looking at the front of the classroom. I was so distracted by Flippy, and so lost in thought; I completely missed what Mr. S had said. He didn't even write anything on the board to help. I sighed, and carefully took a beaker of... whatever it was, and poured it into the glass.

"I h-hope that's right..."

"It actually is." he laughed, handing me another beaker of clear liquid. "You're supposed to add just a drop of this."

"That sounds e-easy enough." I said quietly, angling the beaker over the other one. My hands were unsteady already, and having Flippy right next to me didn't make it any better.

"Be careful with that chemical!" Mr. S. said sternly, suddenly chastising Nutty for fooling around. I flinched, shaking the beaker, and emptying the majority of the contents inside. Flippy's eyes widened as he stood up, quickly pulling me back from the bubbling and overflowing beaker. Mr. S. was too busy lecturing Nutty to notice anything, until the beaker exploded.

Everyone jumped, and I screamed as I covered my head with my hands. Flames began to spread on the table, burning away pencils and papers, and forming where the liquid was. Splendid hopped up, trying to tell everyone to calmly exit the room, but Mr. S. panicked; pulling the fire alarm and running out. Splendid groaned, rushing out with everyone else.

But Flippy and I were frozen in place. I was frightened, and wanted to run, but I just... couldn't. Flippy was another story. His hands shook violently, and he dropped the other beaker, shattering it into pieces.

"Flippy…?" I asked, tentatively placing a hand on his shoulder.

"I-I'm sorry…" he murmured, his voice wavering, taking on a deeper edge that I didn't recognize.

Before I could ask anything, he raised his head slowly, until our eyes met. The usual emerald-green color gradually became a bit lighter, and the pupils shrank considerably.

Flippy grabbed my hand with superhuman speed, and I winced in discomfort. I was suddenly pinned against a table, with nowhere to go.

"What. Are. You. Doing…?" he growled, his voice seething.

I blinked, turning away from him. "I-I c-c-could ask you the s-same"-

He clutched my chin in his hand, jerking it back so I faced him. "Look at me when I'm speaking to you." he ordered.

I had no choice but to comply, trembling uncontrollably. He smirked at this, his bizarre eyes boring into mine, and he let go of my chin. I instinctively tried to scramble away, and Flippy chuckled, yanking my sleeves down over my hands to easily pull me back by the arms.

"What d-do you w-want?" I stuttered.

I gasped at the presence of a cold, unforgiving shard of glass pressing against my throat. Flippy's expression was menacing, even though he smiled.

"I want you to scream."

Ironically enough, I was so absolutely terrified; I couldn't scream. I was just frozen, shaking as I waited for the end.

"What, Flaky? Cat got your tongue?" he grinned sadistically, bringing the glass a bit higher up my neck, forcing me to tilt my head up. Flippy studied me for a moment, his eyes roaming over my face, before he leaned in.

I held my breath, freezing in place, and I squeezed my eyes shut. His breath tingled against my face, he was so close. Suddenly, he took my face with his free hand, and fiercely pressed his lips against mine, keeping the glass where it was. My eyes widened as I struggled against him, but it was useless. Why did I have to be so weak?

_What the hell... wasn't he trying to kill me?_ I thought, and a blush immediately crept to my cheeks. The situation was extremely contradictory.

Flippy wasn't the nicest… but he most definitely wasn't a killer… right?

_What caused him to be like this?_

Eyeing the sprinkler system above (that strangely didn't activate when the fire alarm was pulled), I blindly reached back to the desk, grabbing anything I could take hold of. I found a stapler, and after silently praying I didn't miss, threw it at the sprinkler.

It popped open, water cascading down, drenching us both. Flippy staggered back, his appearance gradually returning to normal, and I took my chance, bolting out of the classroom. I didn't bother to glance back, and definitely didn't consider turning around to check on him. I knew Flippy was alright now… but I knew better than to return to that classroom. Instead, I ran down the hall and out of the school, water trailing behind me.

I immediately saw Cuddles with Giggles, their expressions stricken. Petunia stood next to Handy, her features solemn. Giggles turned around, and gasped, hugging me worriedly.

"Flaky! We were so worried!"

"I-I-I-I"- I stammered, still in shock. What had happened in there? I wouldn't know for sure, unless somebody finally explained what was going on with Flippy. Cuddles looked me over, his countenance hardening.

"Flippy was in there with her."

Petunia froze, looking over at me in shock.

"What happened?"

"I d-don't know! U-Unless somebody tells me what the hell is wrong with him!" I shouted. My mood was completely out of character, and people turned to look at me in surprise. Giggles shooed them away, and Cuddles sighed.

"...He used to be in a war, Flaky."

"A war...? He's o-only seventeen"-

"The W.A.R broke out when he was fourteen. Age didn't matter, he was drafted. Something about him... changed when he returned."

"Like?"

"To be frank, he has Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Whenever something reminds him of the war, he's sadistic, Flaky. That's why we warned you."

"Well, you could've been more specific! That's serious!" I said, narrowing my eyes.

"We would have been, but you're too... sensitive." Giggles said, worriedly smiling.

"Sensitive. You put my life i-in danger, b-because you thought I was sensitive?" I crossed my arms, watching their faces flood with guilt. Except for Petunia's. She glowered at me, jabbing a finger in my direction.

"Look. It was for the best. You would've had another panic attack if we told you up front. At least you know about this now! At least you're alive! You got away from him without a single cut, and you're complaining! Look at Handy! His hands are bandaged up because Flippy completely went bezerk one day! So just do us a favor, and shut the hell up!" she snapped.

Petunia's rant threw everyone into silence. Her eyes widened at the realization of what she said, and she took a step forward.

"Flaky, I didn't"-

I shook my head, tears springing to my eyes, and pushed past her, racing back to my house. I couldn't take the insults, their judgmental tones, or condescending smiles, I wanted to get away from it all. Absolutely everybody I met found some flaw about me they wanted to pick at.

At least, that's how I felt.

* * *

Gah... *runs around, flailing arms* That was… interesting to write. O_O


	6. Apologetic Caffine

Ah, sorry about my absence! I'm in the middle of testing, and finals are coming up... *dies* .

Anyway, this chapter has more Splendid in it! :3

Enjoy! ^.^;

~Infinity Guitars

* * *

When Opposites Attract - Chapter 6

* * *

Thank God it was the weekend. I had no desire whatsoever to speak to anyone after what happened yesterday. Petunia had shown a completely different part of her personality. So did Flippy...

I sighed, shaking my head as I walked outside, a gentle breeze making me shiver a little. But I didn't bother with trying to get my jacket, and continued down the street, making my way to the grocery store. I needed a few random ingredients for the kitchen, and knowing I'd need them later on, I decided to buy them now.

I walked past the automatic doors, and was greeted by Shifty. He wore a plain t-shirt with the supermarket logo on it, and still had that fedora atop his light green hair.

"Ah... where's Lifty?" I asked.

"Oh, somewhere in the back, _borrowing_ something." he answered with a shrug.

_Oh my._

"A-a-anyway, could you tell me where the s-spices a-are?"

"Aisle 7."

I quickly shuffled away; worried I would be considered an accomplice to theft if I stuck around. The supermarket was fairly empty, considering that I wanted to come as early as possible. I didn't want to run into anybody from school. Once I saw aisle 7, I hurriedly walked over to it, wanting to get out of the store as quickly as possible-

"Ouch!"

I tripped over a display, and landed on the cold linoleum floor. Why did I have to be so unaware of everything when I was thinking? Suddenly, a pair of sneakers stepped in front of me, followed by a red cape dragging across the floor.

"Flaky?"

"S-Splendid!" I scrambled to my feet, my face red.

"Are you alright?" he asked, his voice enthusiastic as ever.

"I-I'm f-fine! Just l-looking for the t-t-t-thyme!" I stammered.

Splendid smiled, his blue eyes crinkling a bit at the corners, and he lithely hopped up, grabbing a bottle from the top shelf in the aisle. When he landed, he tossed it to me and I dropped it, my lack of coordination rendering me useless when it came to catching things.

"You know, you should let me buy you lunch." Splendid said, easily picking up the thyme for me. My face turned red, and my eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"W-why?"

"You're obviously not in a state to cook... I wouldn't want you to drop anything dangerous." he laughed.

_I already did plenty of that in chemistry class... _I thought, my cheeks turning a shade darker.

"O-oh, th-th-that's alright, S-Splendid! I don't want to trouble y-you." I said as I awkwardly walked to the cashier.

Splendid followed with his basket of foods, his cape waving behind him as he laughed again.

"You? A trouble? Nonsense! I insist."

I paid the cashier for the thyme, and turned to see Splendid packing his groceries in bags instead of the cashier. He really _was _nice... I just didn't feel like going to lunch today.

"W-well... I dunno..."

"Please?" he asked, giving me puppy-eyes. I blinked in surprise, glancing away. I could never deny anyone who gave me that look.

"F-fine."

We ended up going to a small café that served "the best meals ever", as Splendid put it. He got us a table by the window, and the hostess handed us menus, telling us a waitress would be over soon.

"You should try the peanut cappuccino. It's delicious." he suggested.

"I-I would... b-but I'm allergic to peanuts." I said, remembering the last episode I had concerning peanuts. It wasn't pretty.

"Oh, that's unfortunate." Splendid said, smiling at my timid expression.

As I was about to respond, somebody's cheerful voice interrupted me.

"Welcome to the Happy Tree Café, I'll be your waitress today..." the voice trailed off, and I looked up to see Giggles. Her eyes widened, and she broke into a long list of apologies, each one quickly running into the next as her voice sped up. I gaped at her in shock, while Splendid just looked confused.

"Giggles... its okay." I interrupted.

She paused, and smiled gratefully, her naturally cheerful disposition returning.

"Well, okay! What'll you two have?"

"Ladies first." Splendid said, gesturing towards me.

"A blueberry scone and a coffee, please." I said, turning towards Giggles.

"An egg white omelet, please." he said, simply radiating good health.

"And how would you like your coffee, Flaky?"

"B-black..." I mumbled.

They both looked at me in surprise, and I turned pink with embarrassment.

"...alrighty! I'll be back with your orders in a few!" Giggles said, walking back to the kitchen. Splendid chuckled as I twiddled my thumbs nervously, trying to keep calm.

"I didn't know you liked your coffee black."

"W-well, I started drinking it e-ever since I was a kid..."

After Giggles gave us our food, we ended up chatting long after we finished. Splendid was really a nice person to talk to, and I was relieved that things didn't get too awkward when we spoke. Well, as awkward as I was in general, I guessed I was glad things weren't _too _awkward. Splendid paid for everything, despite my request to pay, at least for my order. But he shook his head, insisting that he did.

We exited out into the parking lot, and he escorted me back home, since my street was fairly close by. I walked onto the front landing, and fumbled for my key in my pocket while Splendid patiently waited. I finally produced the key, and put it in the lock, opening the door.

"Thanks for lunch, S-Splendid. It was nice t-talking to you." I said, turning around to face him.

Splendid glanced off to the left, and I followed his gaze to Flippy's house. It looked like he was searching for something inside, as if he had x-ray vision. I knew he didn't, though... so what was so important over there?

"Splendid?" I asked, and his attention quickly turned back to me. His expression had changed slightly; I couldn't explain it, though.

"Ah, sorry Flaky. What did you say?" he said apologetically.

I paused for a moment, and shook my head.

"N-never mind. See you at school."

Splendid waved, before strolling down the street in the opposite direction of which we came. I shut the door, walking inside, and quickly stored the bottle of thyme in my spice cabinet. What was he looking at outside? The question was stuck in my head for the rest of the day, until I went to sleep.

* * *

Bam. A small chapter since I was gone.

Sorry it was boring, I just need to lead up to a certain point. ^.^;

Again, thanks for the comments and criticisms/advice! :D I'll be sure to try to improve the story!

~Infinity Guitars


	7. Surprises

Hey everyone! I apologize for the lateness of this update... ^.^; Motivation has been a bit low, but at least finals are over, yeah?

Anyway, here it is!

~Infinity Guitars

* * *

When Opposites Attract - Chapter 7

* * *

"C'mon Flaky, try this dress on!"

"I d-dunno, Giggles... it doesn't l-look like a dress _I _would wear."

"Well of course it isn't! It came from my closet!"

I was in Giggles' overly pink room, trying on every single outfit she threw at me. She had a massive closet, filled with every sort of clothing item known to man. We had barely scraped the surface of the inventory, and I already had changed a multitude of times.

_God, help me._

Giggles pouted, and thrust the dress into my arms.

"Try it on! Trust me."

"Fine..." I mumbled dejectedly, making a signal so she would turn the other way.

I slipped out of my clothes, and pulled on the dress. There were ruffles... _everywhere. _It was terrifying how _girly _it was. I felt like I had changed into Giggles for a moment. The only thing I liked about the dress was its color; red. And maybe the fact that it had long sleeves was good too... So it wasn't that bad of a dress after all.

But I wouldn't admit _that._

"Alright... how bad do I look?"

Giggles turned around, and squealed in delight.

"You look adorable! Keep the dress!"

"_W-what? _I couldn't"-

"Too bad! It's perfect for you, Flaky!" She smiled, clapping her hands together.

"Now you'll be the center of attention at your welcoming party!"

Oh, right. The welcoming party. Giggles decided to throw one for me at my house. It was supposed to be a surprise, but the girl couldn't keep a secret for her life.

"A-are you sure, Giggles? I-it's a little too late f-for a w-welcoming party, d-don't you t-think?"

"Not at all! Besides, I haven't thrown a party in _ages! _I can't imagine how the people here survived so long!"

"H-how long w-was that?"

The pink-haired girl shrugged, walking out of her room.

"A week."

I groaned, and examined my reflection in the mirror. The dress was pretty, sure, but I wasn't sure if I was pretty enough for it. The wild- haired, extremely nervous girl shouldn't wear a dress as... _noticeable _as this one was.

Giggles popped back into the room, holding a huge makeup case and multiple hair-styling tools. For a moment, I was scared for my life.

"Tch. Don't worry, Flaky! When I'm done, you'll look even _more_ adorable!"

"B-but, I-I-I"- Giggles interrupted my stammering, and tugged me over.

"Ouch!"

"Sorry..." she said apologetically, trying to yank a huge brush through my hair. I winced and twitched every few seconds, before Giggles pouted and lowered the brush.

"You know... I think your hair's fine like that."

I rolled my eyes in response, before she started to apply pounds of makeup to my face.

"I-is this necessary?"

"Yes... hold still!"

Giggles held me in place with that surprising strength of hers, and managed to fix me up with only one hand. A few moments later, she was finished.

"Voila! Look at yourself!" she smiled, turning me to the mirror.

I gaped at the reflection staring back at me. I didn't look like myself at all. My hair was as neat as it was ever going to get, my eyelashes were two times longer, some strange crimson shade of lipstick was on my lips, and I _glittered _whenever I moved... was this everyone's definition of pretty?

"Y-you didn't put blush on me?" I asked quietly.

"Oh, you don't need blush! You get embarrassed too often, you naturally blush!" Giggles explained, shooing me downstairs.

"Now wait for me! I'll only be a moment." she said, before closing her bedroom door.

I blinked, uneasily walking down the stairs in the silly shoes she forced me to put on. I wasn't exactly sure what "a moment" was to Giggles, but had a hunch it was around half an hour. Sitting on one of her extremely cushioned loveseats, I barely had time to breathe before she came bolting down the stairs, already changed and made up. I blinked in surprise, and she tugged me out the door.

"H-how did you get ready s-so quickly?"

"I always get ready quickly. It's a habit. Besides, Giggles Chipmunk is never late for a party." she laughed, bringing me over to my house, shushing me before I could respond.

I sighed, tensing up before opening the door. It was pitch black inside my house, all the lights were shut off. My pulse quickened as my eyes adjusted to the lack of light, and Giggles quickly ushered me forward.

"H-hello...?" I squeaked.

"_SURPISE!" _

Everyone popped out of their hiding places as Giggles snapped on the lights, and I screamed, despite knowing what to expect. They didn't seem surprised that I was scared, however, and I turned red in embarrassment.

Music quickly started playing from my stereo that sat upon a shelf, and people placed their gifts on and around the coffee table in the center of the room. I realized with growing discomfort, that my house was packed with most, if not all the residents in Happy Tree. After I greeted everyone that crossed my path, I edged into the kitchen, the smell of various party foods wafting over to my nostrils.

Giggles and Petunia were by a large punch bowl on the granite-surfaced island, and DB (Disco Bear) grinned, obviously hitting on them, much to their chagrin as Cuddles and Handy were off mingling with the other guests. Giggles blew the bangs from her eyes, and I awkwardly edged over to them.

"Ah, hey..."

"And who is _this?" _DB interrupted, his eyes roaming over me without hesitation. I self-consciously tugged at the dress, looking away.

"DB, this is Flaky." Giggles said, gesturing to me.

His lack of response and blank expression made my face turn bright red in irritation.

"You know; the one who this welcome party is for?" she continued.

"You're kind of standing in her kitchen?" Petunia piped up.

DB adjusted his bright orange afro with a pick comb he obtained from hammer space, and he flashed what looked like a trademark smile at them, completely ignoring me.

"Oh, yeah, sure. As I was saying"-

I gasped as Disco Bear stumbled forward, splashing his drink all over my dress. Giggles' and Petunia's eyes widened as my lips parted with nothing to say. Splendid looked up, smiling brightly after colliding with the flirtatious boy. He obviously didn't notice almost knocking somebody over.

"Hey, Flaky! Nice party, sorry I came late though." He held a gift wrapped in blue paper, but at that moment I didn't care what it was. Everyone in the room shot Splendid a look, only confusing him.

"What did I do?"

Suddenly, everything was too much to handle.

"I-I'm going outside f-for s-some air..." I stammered, keeping my eyes on the ground and walking out the back door. I made sure to close it, showing that I didn't want to be followed and interrogated on my sudden exit; I just wanted to be alone.

You know, so I could cry in peace?

I sat on the stone bench that was nestled delicately between some trees, and looked at the tiny Koi pond in front of me. My reflection wavered against the surface of the water, getting disturbed every so often by a passing fish. A droplet of water plopped into the pond, and I realized I was crying, but I didn't attempt to wipe my tears away. Instead I shut my eyes and let a steady stream flow down my face.

"The life of the party shouldn't cry, you know."

My head snapped up, and my heart pounded against my chest. Flippy stood there, holding a present neatly wrapped with green paper. He sounded quite forlorn, and didn't bother to hide it with a fake smile plastered on his face. I liked that about him...

The one who attacked me earlier.

He must have seen the realization in my eyes, and he took a step back.

"I'm sorry."

I was held in place with those words, standing a few good paces away from the back door, from _safety, _but I didn't move. I didn't _want _to move.

"You're sorry..." I parroted quietly.

"Please... let me explain, I mean, if somebody hasn't, already."

I waited, hesitantly moving into a regular stance, keeping my arms by my side. He paused for a moment, and I witnessed him struggle with words before he spoke.

"...It's obvious somebody already did, then." he said dryly, fingering the dog tags that hung from his neck.

I simply nodded as a response, refusing to talk.

"What did they say? That I'm an ex con? A mobster's son? A murderer on the run?" he continued, laughing bitterly to himself like there was any humor in the situation. "That I would kill you if you looked at me the wrong way?"

The last word hung in the air, before it stilled into a deafening silence. He exhaled sharply, and I looked up, seeing an array of emotions burning behind his dark emerald eyes. It was obvious that this was opening up old wounds, no doubt. I wasn't going to press on about the specifics, though.

"They s-s-said... you were i-in a war... t-that you have PTSD..." I murmured. It was barely a whisper, but I knew he heard it loud and clear.

We locked eyes for what felt like a lifetime, not speaking. Flippy seemed so... closed off at that moment, it was like I was a complete stranger to him. Suddenly he shut his eyes, shaking his head.

"I shouldn't have come here. I promise I won't hurt you again."

"W-what...?"

"I have to go." he said, handing me the gift and walking away before I could protest.

"Wait"- my voice cracked, and was lost in the noise of the party inside.

He didn't hesitate and look back; he didn't return with a million apologies like in the movies, Flippy kept a steady pace, until he disappeared down the street. I looked down at the gift dejectedly, running a hand across the wrapping paper.

"Welcome to Happy Tree."


	8. And The List Goes On

Yay! Summer's here, I'm out of school, which means I have much more time to update!

So, here you go. Enjoy. ^.^;

~Infinity Guitars

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When Opposites Attract - Chapter 8

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A week passed after the party, and things reverted back to normal... whatever "normal" was; people weren't as awkward around me anymore, once they had seen how quiet I was around Flippy. It was almost like they didn't want me near him. They acted as if I was too naive to see it, but I was far from that. The more I thought about it, the more blatantly obvious it became.

Ever since his apology, I thought we'd be able to speak like we used to. Instead, he remained silent in the few classes we had together... he didn't even _look _at me anymore. After a multitude of failed attempts at getting him to speak, I gave up on it completely, tired of talking to a brick wall. So I was left in the dark, totally confused why he turned into a blank slate.

Splendid obviously didn't mind, though.

Instead of keeping his distance from him as usual, he would confidently talk to me in class, not even regarding the green haired boy's presence next to me. All the while, Flippy would stay silent, fiddling with a pencil like he always did. I got the feeling that he enjoyed the invisible wall between Flippy and I; like the more distant he became, the better it was. Still, I never asked Splendid about Flippy, it was obvious the two were rivals of some sort.

"Flaky?"

I sighed, looking up to meet Giggle's happy expression.

"You're still sleeping over tonight, right?"

I nodded. It was silly to me that I was sleeping over Giggle's house, when she lived directly across the street from me. But she insisted on me coming over anyway.

"We're going to the movies too." she declared, walking next to me as the bell rang.

"What movie are we seeing?" I asked absentmindedly, retrieving a book from my locker.

"Flowers in the Wind, of course!" she squealed, and I held back a groan, mimicking her excited smile with my own.

"Oh... great!"

Personally, I hated romantic comedies with the whole of my existence. They were too... _mushy _for me. And as ironic as it seemed, I held a preference for horror movies. They gave me a chance to be scared for valid reason, and that was an uplifting feeling, to be able to scream in a crowded room and not get looked down upon; because everyone else was screaming right along with you.

I twiddled my thumbs for a moment, speaking more to the floor than Giggles.

"A-are you s-sure w-we can't see a-anything else?"

"There's that new horror movie, but why would we see that? Too gory." she waved it off, and smiled. "Besides, romantic comedies are great for dates. Guys love them."

I was pretty sure that guys _didn't _love romantic comedies, but who was I to question it? Giggles had practically every guy in school drooling over her; she had to know what she was doing.

_Maybe it's a reverse psychology sort of thing... _I thought, before freezing up.

"D-did you j-j-just say, date?"

Giggles laughed, patting me on the shoulder.

"Yes, a date. I'm going with Cuddles, and Petunia's going with Handy."

"B-but"-

"Oh, don't worry! I got you somebody too!"

I shut my eyes, exhaling. I already knew who Giggles effortlessly invited on my behalf, and I knew for a _fact _that it wasn't who I'd rather watch a crappy movie with. The one who was currently ignoring me, for unknown reasons.

"Giggles, y-y-you d-didn't have to ask S-Splendid"-

"Splendid?" She was momentarily confused "I didn't ask Splendid. Did you _want _me to?" she adopted a thoughtful expression, grinning from ear to ear. "Because I can make that happen, and"-

"N-no! T-that's not n-necessary. W-who did you ask?" I stammered.

"Shifty."

Shifty. The twin brother of Lifty. The one who was an obvious troublemaker, and excellent partner in crime. The one who wore that stylish fedora, the look of it just _screaming_ that it was stolen, but he obviously didn't care.

_ What the hell was Giggles thinking?_

"Shifty..." I repeated.

"Yeah. The guy loves how cute you are." She laughed "Especially your outfits."

I made a mental note to not wear any jewelry tonight.

I sighed, shutting my locker closed with a little more force than necessary. Giggles meant well, but she put me in situations that I didn't wish to be in. A lot. I racked my brain for any valid excuse to cancel, but I couldn't come up with one. I had to go.

Giggles, who was totally oblivious to my mood change, happily kept up her chatter as we made our way to the cafeteria, and sat at the table. I didn't bother with lunch, having lost my appetite at the thought of what could happen tonight. Impossibly disastrous scenarios flashed in my mind, and I found myself gripping the table, my knuckles turning white. I watched how light my skin would get, before I released my grip on the table, seeing my hands flush bright red.

It felt like hours had gone by, before I suddenly felt a hand on my shoulder, and I yelped, causing some people in the cafeteria to turn, staring at me in confusion.

"Hello? Are you alright?" Cuddles asked, arching an eyebrow at my expression.

"J-j-j-just f-fine"- I managed to stutter out, my hands beginning to shake.

"Flakes looks like she's about to explode." Lifty snickered.

Shifty laughed in agreement, before Splendid shot the twins a look, quieting them instantly. My eyes widened in realization, and I silently ran through the many lists of symptoms my doctors gave me.

_Spacing out? Check. Muscles shaking? Check. _

I stood up, being met with worried looks all around the table. Splendid looked as if he was going to stand as well, but I stopped him.

"Y-you d-d-don't have to do th-that." I stammered, quickly exiting the cafeteria before he could respond.

I knew I should have asked where the nurse's office was first, but I was already shaken up enough. I couldn't bring myself to walk back and ask either, the embarrassment would be unbearable.

_Fear of making a fool of myself? Check._

Where the hell was it? I crossed my fingers, unsteadily walking up the stairs, hoping the nurse's office was on the second floor. If not, I was screwed. Majorly. "Ah!" I grabbed for the railing, leaning against it after I tripped over the last step. I rested for a moment, making sure I regained my equilibrium before I started off again.

_Unsteadiness? Check._

"C'mon Flaky... y-you're almost there..." I croaked, coughing as I felt my throat tighten up.

_ Choking? Check._

I stumbled onto the landing, carefully walking down the hall. My feet felt like lead; like they were only things keeping me tethered to the ground and not floating away. I looked at the doors lining the walls, but none of the signs read "Nurse's Office".

Biting my lip to keep from crying, I ignored the tears burning in my eyes and tried to walk to the stairway again, failing miserably when I smacked straight into an opening door. I staggered back, feeling my heart slam against my ribcage, like it was about to burst.

_Chest pain? Check. Pounding heart? Check._

I heard somebody humming an unfamiliar tune. It sounded very melancholy, like a bittersweet memory of some sort. The voice, however, was _very _familiar. I gasped for breath as the color drained from my face, and wiped the beads of sweat that began to form on my forehead.

Flippy exited the room, still holding that stupid pencil, and paused before looking behind the door, his humming ceasing into a deafening silence. I quivered, seeing spots in my peripheral view. They flashed for a moment before disappearing, quickly being replaced with new spots. I tried to blink them away. It didn't work.

_Spots in the vision? Check._

For a moment, I thought Flippy would ignore me and continue on his merry way. He had the same blank expression his face like he did in class, but he spoke quietly.

"You don't look okay."

_Wow. What an insightful observation. _

"Gee, r-r-really? I-I thought I l-looked f-f-f-freaking _amazing, _Flippy. N-no, you're a-absolutely c-correct. I-I'm okay. J-just _peachy." _I said dryly.

_Dramatic mood swings? Check._

Flippy arched an eyebrow at my response, a ghost of a smile barely hidden under his mouth, before he composed himself and tried to speak again. I quickly interrupted, despite it being out of character for me.

"J-Just tell me w-where th-the nurse's o-office is."

He snorted, allowing himself to smile, and pointed at the sign on the door that was directly in front of my face. Nurse's Office. I started to inwardly curse at myself. _How_ could I have missed that?

Oh, right. Anxiety attack.

My eyebrows furrowed in confusion as I saw his lips move, but heard no sound come out. Instead, it was replaced with an incessant and piercing sound in my ears.

_ Ringing in the ears? Check._

His amused expression was immediately replaced with one of worry, and he carefully reached towards me. Oh, if only I could read lips!

I felt myself tilting back, and the floor came up to meet me, only for my freefall to be brought to a screeching halt. I was inches away from the hard linoleum floor, but felt two secure hands on my back, preventing me from moving any further.

_Dizziness? Check._

I looked up, instantly regretting it. Flippy was so close... if it weren't for the current situation, I would've blushed. Instead, I concentrated on the lights on the ceiling, turning his face into a shadowy silhouette. There. Distraction eliminated. Now I could focus on other things, like the wave of uncontrollable drowsiness that fell over me. It became a battle to keep my eyes open, and the corners of my vision began to darken.

"Flaky!"

_What had he said?_

My attempt to respond was only a garbled mess of nonsensical words, becoming even more unintelligible as everything suddenly faded away.

_Blacking out? Check._

* * *

Bam. Sarcastic Flaky is sarcastic.


	9. Faded Explantations

Alright... I'm sorry for the lateness of this update as well. I was traveling out of state, away from my trusty computer at home. Also, I tried a different writing style for this chapter... if I continue to write like this, the updates will take a bit longer, but I like the way they end up more than the other way I write. Eh. I'll just experiment with it for now.

Oh. And expect some Cuddles X Giggles and Petunia X Handy in the next chapter.

So anyway, here it is! ^.^

~Infinity Guitars

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When Opposites Attract - Chapter 9

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All I could see was a blinding fluorescent light. It felt like I was floating in a never-ending abyss, sailing on nothing in particular. The ringing in my ears became all I was capable of hearing, until it just... _stopped, _leaving me with a comfortable silence. As the light faded away, my vision slowly crept back to normal, allowing me to find that I was in a small room.

The cot I was sprawled out on smelled of mothballs and rubbing alcohol. The blanket that was haphazardly tossed over me had a similar scent, although there was a hint of coffee. Decaf. Yesterday's brew, a stale cup of the stuff probably spilled a bit on the stiff fabric.

The buzzing light fixtures overhead flooded the room in a cold, artificial beam that screamed of bitter mass production. A few duds flickered out and returned back to life momentarily, repeating the same sickening process over and over again. It kept up a pulsating beat, shrouding some areas of the room in murky shadows before they were brightened up.

I looked away from the less than mediocre lighting before I could have a seizure.

The room was small, and plants that had seen better days were sitting in every corner. A desk was pushed directly against a wall, and it was littered with documents and half empty coffee mugs. I could barely make out a few stains on the papers, no doubt a result from careless handling of the mugs. The whole place radiated unprofessionalism.

Why wasn't it a surprise that I was in the nurse's office?

I never had good experiences with anything school nurse related. They were usually impatient with me and my stammering, and of course, when they snapped for me to hurry up and _speak,_ it would only worsen the problem. Which was why I attempted to avoid them by all means necessary.

"You're awake."

I gasped, immediately backing up as far as the cot would allow, causing it to squeak loudly in protest. I bunched up my knees and wrapped my arms around them while Flippy snorted at my reaction. But there was barely a hint of something else in his eyes. Hurt.

_I hurt his feelings._

After a moment, I guiltily lowered my hands, returning to a regular position on the cot.

"H-how l-l-long was I o-out?" I stuttered, glancing up to meet his unblinking gaze.

Flippy looked at me for ages, not uttering a single word. A heat gradually crept to my face as I grew increasingly uncomfortable, and felt my cheeks turn beet red. As soon as that happened, a look of triumph registered on his face, and he smirked.

"Two hours."

His voice was laced with amusement, and my eyebrows furrowed in irritation. He was obviously toying with me.

"W-well why d-didn't you just s-s-say that?"

"I wanted to see your reaction." he responded, his tone verging on an outright chuckle.

I pinched the bridge of my nose, exhaling sharply before swinging my legs over the edge of the cot, proceeding to stretch until I heard a crack in my spine. I stifled a yawn behind my hand, and rubbed my eyes. It really did feel like I had taken a two hour nap of some sort.

"A-and why are you t-talking to me, a-all of a sudden?" I said absentmindedly, more so to myself than to him, the stammering slowly being flushed from my speech.

"I didn't want to ignore you anymore."

I blinked, turning a light pink in the realization I spoke aloud, and that he actually answered my question. To my surprise, Flippy answered pretty quickly as well. He had thought about this. Looking up, I saw Flippy's elbows were rested on his legs, and he had his hands in a steeple position; his index fingers cradling his chin in the space where the two digits met. Any trace of joking had disappeared.

"Why did you do that i-in the first place...?"

"Like I said at the party, I promised I wouldn't hurt you again, and I tried to distance myself from you... but, _Flaky..."_

_The way he said my name..._

"...even if _I'm_ out of the equation, trouble always seems to find _you."_

My lips parted as I tried to come up with something, _anything_ to prove him wrong, but we both were perfectly aware that what he said was true. I was even a factor in my own endangerment; most of the accidents I got myself into were a result of my anxiety, social inelegance, or just plain clumsiness.

Like a child, I wanted to automatically disagree, just to say he was incorrect. Maybe it would keep him talking; I didn't want him to revert into the blank, silent person he was but only a few hours ago. But, Flippy shocked me again by continuing to speak on his own accord.

"So, I decided to break one of my own rules... I think that despite my absence, you'll get hurt. At least with me around, I can protect you."

He finished, sounding unsure of what he said himself.

"Are you saying that I _need _p-protecting? That I c-can't defend myself?" I snapped, still not fully out of the post anxiety attack mood swings.

"Maybe I worded that incorrectly... what I'm saying is that, I'll just _be_ there for you. When you need protecting."

"I"-

"Flaky, I don't want you to get hurt."

He finally looked up at me, intensity burning behind his eyes. Flippy was all seriousness about this... for some reason, I knew he wouldn't turn back on his word. It looked like he physically _couldn't_ bring himself to.

"The way you looked when you passed out... you were so _vulnerable..."_

Did I notice his eyes flicker, for just a moment? I peered at them, only to be met with the same emerald shade that I was used to. I waved it off as my own paranoid imagination playing tricks on me.

He sighed, rubbing his temples for a bit, as if the conversation caused him a headache. After he lowered his hands, he seemed... a tad happier, and _smiled _at me. I blinked in surprise, timidly smiling back as I finally stood up, leaning against the blank wall for support. I absolutely did not want to pass out again.

Suddenly, a door swung open, the hinges squeaking terribly; as if they were begging for oil, and a tall man strode into the office. He held a cup of coffee in one hand, and a clipboard in another. His disheveled blue hair stuck up in a few places, and the tips close to his ears were a tan color of some sort. He wandered around the room, before setting a mug on top of an old filing cabinet that looked ready to collapse. I cleared my throat to get his attention after a few minutes, and the man looked up in surprise. He also possessed a slightly lazy eye, but not as lazy as Nutty's.

"Oh, you're..." he looked through the clipboard for a moment, "Flaky, right?"

"Ah. Y-yes, I am... I'm sorry, what name s-should I call you?" I said, uncomfortable with not knowing the nurse's name.

"Just call me Nurse Lumpy." he said lazily, tossing the clipboard onto the already cluttered desk.

It was no wonder the room Lumpy kept was in such disarray.

"Well, Miss Flaky, you can run along now."

"Uh, s-shouldn't y-you record m-my being here? W-what happened today?" I stammered.

"You're supposed to do that?" he asked blankly.

"Y-yes! W-what kind of nurse"-

"Well! I think we should get going!" Flippy interrupted, throwing Lumpy an awkward smile.

I opened my mouth to protest, only to have him take my hand, quickly escorting me out of the cramped office. I felt my cheeks begin to burn red, and kept my head down, finding my shoes quite interesting as we speed-walked down the hallway, and out the main door.

It was much colder outside than I remembered; short gusts of cold wind blew in our direction every few seconds, scattering the accumulation of dead leaves everywhere.

"Sorry, Flaky. Lumpy probably got his nursing license from a cereal box." he said, rolling his eyes.

"And w-why did the school hire h-him?"

He answered me with a shrug. Maybe Lumpy was related to one of the more powerful individuals in the school system. Maybe when he needed a job, it was given to him instantly, only because of his connections.

Either that or the school was really cheap and oblivious when it came to their student's health.

"Flaky! Flaky Flaky Flaky!" a voice squeaked.

We looked up in unison to see Giggles bolting towards us with a speed that would put a supersonic jet to shame. Cuddles ran after her, failing to keep up with the hyper pink-haired girl. She screeched to a halt inches in front of me, causing me to jump back, a screech preparing to sound in my throat. I dropped my hand from Flippy's, quickly occupying myself with the task of twiddling my thumbs.

Giggles arched a perfectly shaped eyebrow, and Cuddles finally caught up with her, gasping for breath.

"You... run... s-so... fast..."

"Oh! Sorry, Cuddles!" She laughed, before quickly turning her attention back to me. "I was so worried! I made Cuddles stay after school with me so we could wait for you together and I can't believe you passed out and was it an anxiety attack and"-

Cuddles blinked, pressing a finger to her lips, effectively quieting her down, and making her face turn an identical pink as her hair.

"What she means is, are you alright?" he asked, smiling sheepishly.

"Y-yes, I'm alright."

"Alright enough to go to the movie?" Giggles piped up, skillfully maneuvering away from Cuddles.

"Movie?" Flippy asked, and Giggles' expression brightened even more.

"Yes, a movie! We're seeing that romantic comedy, Flowers in the Wind! You should tag along, Flippy!"

Everyone, _including _Flippy, gave her a look of utter confusion. Was she totally oblivious to every important detail, or did she forget the events of the past few weeks? I gaped at her, and Giggles continued to speak, happily ignoring all of our shocked expressions.

"In fact, you _are _going. I'm forcing you to. And you!" she turned to me. "I'm moving the sleepover to your house, so Petunia and I can keep an eye on you!"

"B-but" I stammered, feeling my hands twitch. I didn't want to go to the movie. And I _especially_ didn't want to go if Shifty was there, with Flippy as well. Also, I felt that I would be attacked with a barrage of questions as soon as the sleepover started.

"No buts." she said with finality, instantly quieting me down.

"Well... I don't see a problem with going to the movies." Flippy said, running a hand through his hair.

"Great! Be at the theater at eight."

Giggles grinned in triumph, quickly grabbing my hand and skipping off, dragging me away before anyone could change their minds.

* * *

*insert evil laugh here* All according to plan... :D


	10. Innocent Interrogations

Sorry for the delay! Preparing for freshman year- .

Anyway, here it is! ^.^; Sorry if it's kinda rushed. .

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When Opposites Attract - Chapter 10

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"So? Tell me what happened!"

I found myself in Giggles' overly fluffy and pink room yet again, sitting on a fuzzy beanbag chair. I sank further into the ridiculously huge piece of furniture, trying to come up with a way to avoid the question. The only thing I could think of was twiddling my thumbs- which I had already occupied myself with.

Petunia smoothed out the comforter on Giggles' canopy bed, pushing back a translucent curtain before carefully sitting down. She then took out a pocket sized bottle of hand sanitizer and quickly rubbed some into her hands, the scent of antiseptic quickly blending in with floral perfume and hairspray. I coughed quietly, and Petunia's eyes widened as she applied more hand sanitizer.

"Watch where you're coughing, Flaky!"

"S-sorry"-

"Hey! You're answering my question, Flakes. We've got all night. And if you don't spill before the movie, we still have the sleepover." Giggles said impatiently, poking me in the side. I winced, rubbing my ribs; it actually hurt. Either she was extremely strong, or I was extremely weak.

I went with the latter.

"N-nothing h-happened"-

"Lies!" Giggles stood up, melodramatically pointing an accusing finger at me. "If nothing happened, why were you two holding hands?"

Petunia blinked, her eyes instantly snapping towards me as I cowered lower into the chair, my face burning bright red.

"H-he was getting me o-out of the n-nurse's office"-

"And he felt the need to hold your hand?" Petunia commented quietly, causing Giggles to nod erratically, squealing.

"Eeee! Flaky has something to tell us! Flaky has something to"-

"Q-quiet! I d-don't have anything to say!" I snapped, and Giggles settled down down, pouting.

"Gee, sorry Flaky." she mumbled.

"N-no, it's my fault for yelling. S-sorry." I said apologetically, and Giggles' expression sprang back to normal; the bright pink eyes and extremely happy smile. Petunia had a curious expression I couldn't quite decipher, and she went back to drying off her hands, before she swished her long blue hair over her shoulder, reaching for a curling iron.

Giggles shrugged, tugging me over to her closet mirror.

"Flakes, are you planning on wearing _that?" _she gasped, and I blinked in confusion.

"W-what's wrong with it?"

My outfit was simple; a pair of the usual skinny jeans with worn knees, a loose red top that hung a bit off my shoulder and had sleeves that were a little too big, and my regular converse. Giggles sighed, pointing to my legs with a perfectly manicured nail. She had painted them a bright pink with silver accents at the tip moments after I arrived at her house.

"Please, wear a skirt. For me? Please?" she pleaded, somehow managing to widen her eyes even more to give me a puppy-dog look.

I groaned, pinching the bridge of my nose, knowing that she probably wouldn't give up until I agreed.

"No, G-Giggles, I w-want to wear jeans. W-we're just g-going to the movies."

She pouted, her bottom lip jutting out just so as I leaned against the wall, crossing my arms. Giggles proceeded to pester me about it for the next fifteen minutes, constantly pulling out various assortments of skirts for me to try on. I still refused every time, but with each attempt, I found my patience weakening, my conscious silently screaming for me to just give in.

"C'mon Flaky, how about this one"-

"Jesus Giggles, let the girl wear what she wants." Petunia spoke up, lowering the curling iron from her hair. She had kept it in a ponytail, but now her locks fell down her shoulder in neat ringlets.

Giggles arched an eyebrow, looking between Petunia and I.

"Well _sorry! _Is today National Grump Day or something?" she huffed.

After we finished getting ready, Giggles jammed us all into her car; Petunia and I were cramped in the backseat, our knees bunched up slightly. The car must have been designed for Giggles only; it was too small for anyone else but her. Petunia did a double take when Giggles didn't check the car at all before she started to drive.

"G-Giggles! Shouldn't you h-have checked everything first?"

"Pfft, no, Petunia! I know what I'm doing!" she smiled, proceeding to turn up the radio to a deafening volume, singing along with her usual radio station's selections of songs. Petunia squeaked and struggled to control her breathing, gripping onto the seats like I had before, causing me to sigh. Tonight seemed like it was going to be interesting.

Giggles pulled the car into the movie theater parking lot, quickly parking next to an empty yellow car. It looked as if Cuddles and the others were already there, waiting for us. I glanced down at my watch, arching an eyebrow. It was exactly eight o'clock. They were early. My thoughts were interrupted when Petunia opened the car door, and we both eagerly stepped out onto the pavement. Petunia and I stretched our legs for a moment, before following an excited Giggles; who was halfway down the sidewalk to the theater.

We burst through the main doors to the lobby, only to bump into Giggles, who halted right in front of us. She stumbled right into Shifty, the force knocking the boy- and his fedora- to the carpeted floor.

"Ow- watch it, Giggles!" he groaned, grumbling as Handy helped him up with surprisingly little effort.

"Oops. Sorry, Shifty." she said absentmindedly, looking at Cuddles dreamily. "H-hey Cuddles."

Cuddles smiled warmly, and Giggles turned a pink identical to her hair. "Hey, Giggles." He held up a few tickets, passing her one first, before handing everyone theirs. I held mine in automatically shaky hands, looking around. The interior of the theater was huge; it had high ceilings with movie advertisements dangling from wires, multiple hallways and elevators leading to the balcony, plenty of seating and online ticket kiosks scattered around the floor. Not to mention the multitude of people that gathered there- the place was packed. Movies must've been a big thing in a town that small.

"The show's starting soon, anyone want some candy?"

"Eee! I do!"

Cuddles chuckled at Giggles' response, gently taking her hand, walking over to the snack bar as she chatted with him animatedly. Petunia snorted, linking arms with Handy while I stood there awkwardly. Shifty picked up a few suspiciously identical tickets that he dropped when he fell, and I quickly turned to Handy, eager to look away from the human arrest waiting to happen.

"Ah, H-Handy, d-do you know where"-

"Flippy is?" he finished for me, arching an eyebrow. "He's already inside the theater. He saved our seats."

I nodded, biting my lip and walking off to the snack bar. I didn't want to immediately rush into the theater, despite the feeling that I should. That would make me come off as extremely desperate. Instead, I quietly stood behind Cuddles and Giggles, who were just finishing up their order.

"Thanks, Cuddles." Giggles said, smiling as he picked up a tray for her.

"No problem, Giggles. I know how much you love candy." Cuddles responded, squeezing her hand.

"And soda. And popcorn. And ice cream." She laughed as they walked off with the overflowing tray. Giggles must have had a huge metabolism; the way she ate astounded everyone around her. But apparently not Cuddles.

"Hello? Next!" The cashier said impatiently, and I blinked, quickly walking forward.

"A-ah, j-just a box of candy, a-and a bottle of water, p-please." I said quietly.

The cashier handed me my order, punching it into the register a bit too forcefully. "The total is 3 bucks."

I handed him the money, and he snatched it away before I could utter a simple "thank you", despite his rudeness. I sighed, tucking the candy box under my arm as I walked to the theater, opening the door to be met with a familiar and sappy tune. I had seen this movie before some time ago, and forgotten all about it because of the overall stupidity of the plot. I was surprised it was still playing.

After I closed the heavy door behind me, I squinted in the darkness, letting my eyes adjust to the lack of light before I walked up the stairs, searching for the others. Soon, my sight fell upon Flippy, who sat in the middle row. For some reason, it was completely empty. So was the row directly behind and in front of him. All of the other seats were taken. He yawned quietly, not paying attention to the film at all; instead he kept checking his watch every few minutes.

I instantly felt some air of wariness in the theater, and understood why the seats were empty. People were afraid to sit next to Flippy, let alone remotely near him. I still didn't find out everything that he did, but it was obviously enough for him to be avoided in public. I sighed empathetically, walking over to the seat next to him, carefully sitting down. Flippy arched an eyebrow in surprise, and I timidly smiled.

"A-ah, hi Flippy."

"Flaky... I didn't think you'd be here."

"W-why not?" I asked quietly, taking a sip of my water to occupy myself.

"You seemed nervous... well, more nervous than you usually are." he said amusedly, smirking over at me.

I rolled my eyes.

Soon, Shifty entered the theater, followed by Handy and Petunia, then Cuddles and Giggles. Shifty grumbled as he sat next to me, popping a piece of popcorn into his mouth.

"W-what h-happened?" I whispered to him, tapping his arm.

"Giggles accidentally spilled all the food Cuddles bought. They had to get back in line."

"So why are Handy and Petunia so late?"

"...she spilled it on Handy."

I arched my neck to look over Shifty, and saw Petunia furiously wiping Handy's cheek with a napkin, constantly using hand sanitizer.

"P-petunia, that hurts"-

"Germs!" she growled, replacing the napkin with a new one, continuing to rid him of any traces of food- if there were even any left.

I sighed, looking back at the giant screen, forcing myself to try to concentrate on the asinine punch lines that people found hilarious for some reason. But, I was hyperaware of the fact that Flippy was right next to me, his chin resting in his palm. I couldn't help but glance over after every few scenes.

"Hey Flaky?"

"...!" I jolted out my trance, looking up at him. "Y-yes?"

"Are you as bored as I am?" he asked, smirking at my reaction.

"A-actually, yeah... I like horror movies better." I added, shrugging.

Flippy arched an eyebrow.

"Horror movies? Who would've guessed?"

I smiled lightly, about to speak again, when the actress' voice rang out from the speakers.

"Look out! My mother's cooking!"

I paused, running the scene over in my mind. Apparently the leads' mother was a horrible cook, and everything she made would spontaneously combust. It always was the cause of a random food-related death of an extra in the movie, completely irrelevant to the almost nonexistent plot. My eyes widened, and I quickly turned to Flippy, speaking hastily.

"Flippy, cover your ears."

He blinked in surprise, opening his mouth to respond.

"Just do it!" I commanded, and he complied, shrugging.

"I don't see why I have to..."

_I hope you don't... _I thought, watching him put his hands over his ears, and I quickly clamped a hand over his eyes. Then I glanced up, seeing the screen just in time for the kitchen to explode. The audience burst out laughing, applauding as the credits started to roll. I exhaled in relief, waiting a few moments before lowering my hand, turning back to him.

"That was close"-

I froze, coming face to face with Flippy in my haste to check on him. The tip of his nose barely grazed the surface of mine, and his lips parted as if he was about to say something- but no words escaped him. My face burned increasingly red by the second as I realized how deep a green his eyes were up close; almost a perfectly harmonious mixture of glistening emerald and jade. I struggled for words as well, finding that I couldn't bring myself to speak as we watched each other carefully.

"That movie was hilarious, right? Guys...? Guys!"

Giggles' shrill voice caught me off guard, and I practically fell into the aisle of the seats, doing the most elegant face plant into the ground. She quickly helped me up, waggling her eyebrows.

"Did I interrupt something?" she snickered, smirking over at us.

"N-no!" Flippy and I answered simultaneously, our voices both raising an octave.

Cuddles, Petunia and Handy arched their eyebrows in response, while Shifty was busy selling off the counterfeit tickets he obtained. I occupied myself with looking at my shoes, while Flippy ran a hand through his hair.

"Sure, sure." Giggles snorted, skipping off with the group as Flippy and I stood there awkwardly. I snuck a glance up at him, noticing something small register on his face as he bit his lip and started to walk off.

It was then I realized how noticeable a color red was- even in the dark.

* * *

Gasp. Flippy- BLUSHING? :O


	11. Only Five Minutes

Oh my god. I couldn't wait to write this. I'm feeling much more motivated.

I'm extremely sorry if this chapter seems rushed as well. I couldn't wait to get these words down.

^.^ Anyway, here it is!

~Infinity Guitars

* * *

When Opposites Attract - Chapter 11

* * *

Right when we got home from the theater, I feigned a headache of massive proportions, claiming it was from the special effects in the movie. Giggles started to whine about her interrogation being avoided, but Petunia cut her off, making me some chamomile tea to help me sleep. After they went off to bed, resting quietly in the sleeping bags sprawled on the floor (well, Petunia's bag was at a perfect 90 degree angle to my bed frame) I found myself finally able to relax, and stop thinking about the movies.

However, the next day was a different story.

The minute I entered school, I _couldn't_ stopthinking about what happened. It occupied my mind, distracting me from important tasks like walking, and managing not to stumble into walls. Once the late bell rang, my coordination worsened right as I stepped foot into the classroom. And not because I was a few minutes late for class.

I hesitantly walked down the aisle, the bottoms of my shoes managing to squeak on the newly polished linoleum floor. Each step I took sent my heart into an uncomfortable overdrive that noisily pounded in my ears as the scene from last night kept replaying in my head. Why was it such a big deal? It was only a mishap, an accident, a stupid mistake-

"Miss Flaky, are you planning on getting to your seat anytime soon?" Mr. S grunted sternly.

The class snickered at me, and I felt my face burn bright red in embarrassment as I continued to the very back of the room, awkwardly plopping into my chair. Which was right next to Flippy. Flippy was busy writing in his notebook, however, and did not even turn to acknowledge me; which was surprising: I thought we were on good terms again. Did I imagine everything he said before? Was my paranoid mind creating things that I truly wanted to hear? I felt a tinge of something pierce my heart at the thought. I had no idea what feeling it was, but it hurt.

"I'm assigning the term project today, everyone. Please, try to contain your excitement." Mr. S chuckled.

Nobody laughed. Mr. S coughed, occupying himself with a tissue.

"Ahem, yes. Anyway- don't get too excited. The person you're sitting next to will also be your assigned partner for the next two weeks. Make sure you work hard, this project counts for a quarter of your grade."

Suddenly I turned bright red, refusing to look to my left until my heart dislodged itself from my throat. Two weeks of working alone with Flippy... I knew it was a recipe for disaster- and my spontaneous combustion was a very likely factor. He already put me on edge in a room full of people, but when we were by ourselves? It was completely different. A good kind of different... no, it was bad. It was bad that it felt good to be near him, when I knew exactly what he could do.

I had no idea if I wanted to cry from joy or fear.

Noises of approval and disappointment sounded throughout the classroom as some students grinned at their partners. Others weren't so happy, and immediately walked up to the front desk to try and change partners. Mr. S was adamant about the rules he set and refused everyone that approached him, completely unobservant to the colorful array of obscenities they muttered after sending them back to their desks. Soon the class was overflowing with noisy chatter, the annoying sound of papers constantly being turned, and the distinct _pop _as students lazily dropped the thin textbooks onto the tables. I could barely hear myself think.

"A-ah, we're supposed to b-be doing o-our report e-either on the makeup of blood and its components or v-vital arteries." I stammered, looking at the instructions on the board, and pausing when he didn't answer.

Brushing my hair from my eyes, I glanced towards him, squeaking as I noticed he was already watching me intently. But... something was different about him; he was very relaxed, leaning back lazily in his chair as he tapped under the desk. Then I saw it: the light glint in his eyes as they progressively turned into that bizarre acid green, and he grinned darkly.

"I was beginning to think you'd never look over here, _partner." _

All the color drained from my already pale face, and I found myself frozen to the seat. Why was I such a panicky girl? I could have- _should _have said something; we were in a classroom full of people, for god's sake. In fact, nobody was missing from class that day either- even Splendid was there; and he was usually absent from being constantly called upon to help others.

"You kept me waiting... do you know what happens when people keep me waiting?"

"N-no..." I managed to choke out.

Flippy smirked, crooking his index finger and hooking it around the leg of my chair, dragging it over to him. I knew he could have pulled me over quickly, but he decided to be gradual and elongate the process; watching the fear grow even plainer on my face as I slowly inched closer to him. My heart was slamming against my chest, my stomach was doing somersaults, and I had no idea how I couldn't scream right then.

"I get bored. And when I become bored, I tend to do bad things..."

He pulled his hand out from under the desk to reveal a knife, tapping the blunt end to the new gashes he cut into the wooden underside. He flipped the knife over to grab the handle, running his finger up the side of the metal as he easily created another slice in the desk.

"Y-you shouldn't c-c-carve into s-school p-property." I stammered, before mentally cursing myself. Why the hell would I play the responsible innocent and tell him what to do? Flippy cocked his head to the side, a curious expression on his face.

"Would you rather me carve into you?" he asked quietly, yet his tone was filled with all kinds of menace.

My eyes were stuck on the weapon, and I automatically leaned back in the chair, trying to distance myself. He grinned darkly, tugging me back over.

"Oh no, we need to start on the project, Flakes." he said in a faux worrisome voice.

"I-I-I think t-that can w-wait"- I squeaked miserably, immediately shutting up when he brought the cold blade to my thigh.

"This right here, is a vital artery. Care to tell me which one?" he asked, watching me with a blank expression.

"A-ah..." I felt the answer at the tip of my tongue, but I failed to speak it into existence.

"Tick tock, partner..." he smirked, pressing the knife down further, just so, and my heart skipped a beat as I felt it almost breaking skin. I then realized he was playing a game- a sick and twisted game at that. I had to answer the questions quickly enough, or...

I didn't want to think what would happen.

"F-Femoral"- I croaked, and he nodded in appreciation.

"Very good. Next."

He grabbed my hand, surprisingly gentle, and lightly traced the tip of the blade up my arm- starting at my wrist and ending right above the inside of my elbow, before tracing back down and starting the circuit all over again.

"The arteries that run up here?"

"U-Ulnar, a-a-and Radial"- I said quietly, watching his reflection on the surface of the knife. He arched an eyebrow, pulling the blade further up my arm, pausing an inch or so under my shoulder.

"What about this one?" He said in a deviously knowing voice, and I trembled. We hadn't really covered the artery he was speaking of in class, and the more I tried to remember the name, the further back it slipped into my mind.

"T-the..."

"You're taking too long. What kind of partner does that?"

"I-I'm sorry... I-I-I can't remember"- I whispered.

"Maybe we should cover something else. Like what happens when you don't remember."

He grinned, making a small cut on my arm. I flinched back, wincing in pain. The wound was superficial, yet it hurt enough to feel like it would scar. My whimpers of anguish only seemed to humor him as I covered my arm with my hand, and he laughed quietly.

"You get cut, Flakes. And cuts start to bleed."

I squeezed my eyes shut, waiting for him to rip me to shreds, _something, _but that didn't happen. Instead, the bell rang, the abrupt and shrill noise seeming to startle him. All the blissfully ignorant people stood up, happily exiting class to make their way to lunch. Shaking his head as if he was clearing some sort of fog in his psyche, Flippy's eyes widened, the normal shade snapping back to his irises. I trembled, and his gaze immediately traveled to my hand, where a faint trickle of blood seeped into the dark red fabric of my shirt. Putting the knife away, he rubbed his temples for a moment, exhaling slowly.

"...and this is why I need to stay away from you."

I blinked, letting his words sink in. It was true, what the others all said about him; he was dangerous. The rumors may not all be factual, but the way Flippy was gave people more than enough justification to start them in the first place.

So why in the world was I so stubborn? Everything, every feasible reason that we shouldn't even be remotely close to each other screamed impossibly loud, all the signs were blatantly obvious that I should avoid him, but I still couldn't bring myself to.

Apparently he could read my face like an open book, and Flippy hesitated, pain flashing across his features, before quickly grabbing his books and brushing past me, starting to walk out of the classroom.

"We'll only speak when it's necessary. I'm sorry."

I couldn't stand it anymore, and I actually started to blurt out the things on my mind. What the hell was happening to me? I never spoke up so easily.

"W-what about what you said? I-I-In the nurse's office?"

My words froze him in place, and his hands clenched around the notebooks he held, making the plastic covers bend slightly. I continued speaking, the confidence that ironically never showed when I actually needed it flowing through my voice.

"Y-You said you w-wouldn't leave me again. You p-promised."

He quickly turned back to face me, yet he averted his eyes.

"I'd protect you from everything if I could, Flaky. But I... I don't know if I can protect you from myself."

We stood there silently, my cheeks burning red in frustration as I tried to get through to him, as well as figure out how the conversation took this sort of turn. We both knew it was true; our friendship was on thin ice as it stood. If it delved into anything even a fraction more than that, then it would become something very unstable and dangerous.

That hurt more than any knife could.

"We _can't, _Flaky. _I _can't... I"- he cut himself off, blinking in surprise after he finally allowed himself to look at me, while my eyes started to blur as I found myself on the brink of tears.

"Are you crying...?"

I kept my mouth shut, because I knew if I even attempted to give him a response, I would definitely begin to cry. Loud and embarrassing tears, at that. He looked at me in bewilderment, and then I became the one to avert my eyes, keeping my sight on the floor. I heard him sigh, shifting his weight.

"Flaky, you shouldn't ever cry because of me..." he murmured, reaching out and gently wiping away a tear that dared manage to escape my eyes with his thumb. My face immediately seared a darker red at his touch, and he groaned in disbelief.

"Don't you see the kind of effect I have on you? You should've flinched back. You should be scared..."

Yet again, he was right. I _should _have been scared, but I wasn't. The only thing I felt at that moment, was embarrassed. Embarrassed that I managed to become so vulnerable in his presence, and embarrassed that he managed to obtain that kind of influence over me so quickly.

"I-I'm an idiot..." I mumbled.

"You are..." he responded quietly.

And before I had any chance to respond, he leaned in, and gently pressed his lips to mine. I turned a brighter red than I could ever imagine possible, frozen in surprise; not like the fearful shock I usually found myself in... It was more so a pleasant surprise that sent my already quickened heart rate skyrocketing. The kiss itself was tender, light as a feather compared to the last time I found my lips in contact with Flippy's.

Much too soon for me, he pulled back, sighing like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. And maybe he did.

"I'm an idiot too..." he breathed.

The bell rang again, signaling the beginning of lunch, and we both jumped a bit in surprise. Had everything that just happened only occurred over the span of 5 minutes? He straightened out, keeping his eyes on me as I struggled to compose myself under his steady gaze.

"We're going to be late."

"For lunch? Y-you never g-go."

He shrugged indifferently, the ghost of a smile tugging at his mouth.

"Something changed my mind."

* * *

*fangirl scream* Oh my god...


	12. Don't Worry, Flakes

0.0 Oh my. Sorry for the wait. I honestly didn't expect me schedule to be this hectic. *blah blah, excuses, blah*

(And the 3rd/final chapter of my threeshot is in progress. :3 )

Anyway, here it is! ^.^;

* * *

When Opposites Attract - Chapter 12

* * *

I found myself having an internal paroxysm as I walked down the hall, Flippy close by my side. It seemed that the route to the cafeteria was much longer than I had remembered, or it was just my anxious mind playing tricks on me yet again; I had nothing to worry about. Of course, when I tried to convince myself that I had nothing to worry about, plenty worrisome scenarios flashed through my mind. What would happen in lunch? What would my friends say? Would they even say anything? Would they refuse our company? Would-

The presence of a warm hand wrapping around mine brought my thought process to a screeching halt. I directed a sideways glance up to Flippy, and he smiled lightly, his eyes crinkling at the corners just a bit. My breath caught- his smile was so gorgeous, and I struggled to compose myself yet again, my reaction earning me that musical laugh of his.

"Don't worry, Flakes. It's alright." he said reassuringly.

The minute he said it, I couldn't help but believe him. He managed to gain so much influence over me in such a short amount of time; it was almost pathetic how I practically exploded at his words. My cheeks heated up to a bright red in the realization that my reactions to his touches would probably be very different. I would melt.

Somehow, Flippy and I managed to make it to the cafeteria without me dying of embarrassment, and as soon as we crossed the threshold of the archway, the atmosphere in the room changed dramatically. Multiple pairs of eyes shot towards us, most in blatant confusion or shock. Some people whispered; some even had the nerve to subtly point in our direction. I then realized that we would be the topic for discussion at many- if not all the tables in the cafeteria.

I didn't even want to know the reactions at the table I normally sat at. But Giggle's chipper voice made me reluctantly look over anyway, meeting her knowing gaze.

"Hey Flaky... and Flippy. Come sit!" she chirped happily.

As much as I wanted to refuse, I felt my feet involuntarily move forward, shuffling towards my seat. I didn't want to come off as rude, or the girl who would ditch her friends for a boy. Flippy hesitated before taking the empty seat next to me, resting his free hand on the table as the others all looked at me expectantly. I awkwardly bit my lip, shifting my gaze around the room, before settling on the lunch menu that sat on the wall.

"Uh... hi, Flaky." Cuddles said politely, managing a slight wave after Giggles threw him a look. "Hey, Flippy."

"Hello." he responded, his lips turning up in a barely-there smile.

Greetings sounded around the table, before the stillness turned into a discomfited chatter. Cuddles ate his lunch nonchalantly, adding to the conversation every once in a while. Lifty and Shifty continued snickering at something, but refused to reveal the joke to anyone who bothered to ask. Nutty kept biting a jawbreaker, despite it being bad for his teeth. Petunia was the quietest out of the others, murmuring something to Handy every few moments. Giggles arched an eyebrow at all of us, rolling her eyes before sitting up straighter in the plastic chair, grabbing her water bottle.

"So! Elephant in the room- what's going on between you two?" she said, pointing an accusatory finger at the both of us, before taking a swig from her drink.

Everyone at the table instantly looked at us both, eager for an answer, completely relieved that they weren't the ones who asked the question they all were dying to ask. I felt my cheeks turn as red as my hair, and instinctively leaned closer to Flippy, who squeezed my hand comfortingly. Giggles grinned in triumph as I averted my eyes, embarrassment plain on my face.

"The answer's obvious enough." She snickered.

"What answer?" a voice sounded cheerfully.

I glanced up to see Splendid standing at the table, holding a tray of food. Flippy tensed at my side; it was a minor change in his posture, but enough to the point where I would even notice. Then Splendid finally noticed Flippy, sitting close to me, holding my hand, and his eyes narrowed slightly. The tension that fell over the table was unimaginably thick as the two silently stared each other down.

"Splendid." Flippy said evenly.

"Flippy." Splendid responded in the same quiet tone. "You're kind of in my seat." he added.

"My apologies. I guess you're a bit too late." he responded.

For some reason, I knew that what he said held more meaning than what the others thought. Splendid's grip on his lunch tray tightened somewhat, and he forced an obviously strained smile.

"That's alright. I'll just pull another chair over."

With that, Splendid grabbed an empty chair from the neighboring table, unnecessarily lifting it above his head, setting it right at the edge of the group, next to Giggles and Cuddles. Even though the two were separated and sitting at the opposite ends of the table, it was still blatantly obvious they were aware of each other; cautious of each move the other made, no matter how natural it was. It was ridiculous how oblivious the others were to the remaining tension... either that, or they were used to it, since Flippy and Splendid were old adversaries of some sort. I was still in the dark on the story behind that; nobody seemed willing to tell me about what happened between them.

I let out a sigh, playing with the cap of my water bottle absentmindedly, trying not to focus on what was going on. My mind still managed to wander off to the current situation, running possible situations through my head as fumbled with the plastic ridges of the cap. Couldn't anything distract me?

And as if he read my mind, Flippy reached over, gently tapping my hand. My cheeks instantly heated up as a burst of electricity shot through my veins at his touch. I glanced over at him, biting my lip timidly while I inwardly grumbled; I thought those feelings only existed in stupid romance stories. Apparently the shock I felt wasn't a fictional occurrence that authors loved to include in their novels.

"Ah. Y-yeah?" I mumbled.

"Are you alright? You seem a little... anxious." he asked, a hint of amusement in his tone.

I blushed in embarrassment, the bottle cap dropping from my grip. Of course I was anxious; and now that he made a note of it, I became even more anxious. It was in the way I was wired, I guessed, that caused me to react so differently to what people said.

I hated it.

Flippy easily took the cap between his thumb and index finger, spinning it on the surface of the table like a makeshift top. Playing with the sleeve of my shirt, I watched the cap spin as I answered, my voice wavering slightly.

"I-I-I guess I-I'm a-a bit a-a-anxious." I managed to stutter out.

He chuckled lightly, stopping the cap by trapping it under his palm, before twisting it back onto the water bottle. I kept my eyes on the table, tapping my fingers in a continuous pattern. _One, two, three-four, back to one-_

"It's alright, Flakes. Relax." he said, gently covering my hand with his own. That idiotic feeling of electricity returned, making the surface of my skin tingle as I looked up at him sheepishly. He smiled, squeezing my hand in reassurance.

"Hello? You guys!"

Again, we were interrupted by Giggle's high-pitched voice. My attention snapped back to her, and she arched an eyebrow, pouting melodramatically.

"Did you two even hear me?"

"I-I-I, ah"-

She sighed, rolling her eyes.

"Well, I'm throwing a Halloween party, and wanted you both to come!" she said, the former irritation in her voice melting away as she described everything.

Apparently Giggles' Halloween parties were annual; every year she threw a rager that kept the school talking for weeks. It was held in an old cabin on the outskirts of town that she fixed up specifically for the party. The setting of the event already had me on edge; abandoned houses filled to the brim with teenagers, loud music, and (most likely) alcohol? That was a recipe for disaster.

Or another one of my panic attacks, which was on par with a disaster.

Giggles pressed her hands together in a pleading gesture, jutting out her quivering bottom lip as she widened her eyes to the fullest extent; pinning me with the most impressive puppy dog look I have ever encountered. It was impossible for me to refuse, how could I possibly? The only way would be if I didn't have a heart- or if it was made of stone.

"You're going to go, right?" she asked in a completely innocent voice, causing Cuddles to roll his eyes.

"Uh. I d-d-don't s-see why n-n-not"-

I barely got the answer out before she broke character, grinning.

"Yay! And you're definitely getting ready with me, I have so many costumes"- she rambled on, going down multiple lists of the multitude of homemade costumes she had in possession.

I sighed, managing to tune her out as I pressed my face into my hand, before running my fingers through my hair. Halloween was in a few days; the date had snuck up on me because I hadn't gone trick or treating in years. That and Halloween parties weren't really my thing- parties in general weren't really my thing. I always ended up making myself look stupid in every social situation I found myself in.

"What're you going to be this year?" Flippy asked, the question obviously foreign to him.

"A-Apparently Giggles is d-d-deciding for m-me." I grumbled, quickly standing to my feet as the bell rang. "What a-about you?"

"I've never really... dressed up for Halloween." he said, shrugging.

"He doesn't need to. He's already in costume."

Flippy arched an eyebrow at Splendid, who smirked as he casually got his notebook, tossing his lunch tray in a nearby trash can. I had no idea what caused him to be so... snarky all of a sudden; the two didn't speak for the whole lunch period.

"Says the one who wears a mask and cape daily like something out of a comic book." he said, his voice holding plenty of repressed anger.

Splendid rolled his eyes, adjusting the tie on his cape.

"Here's the thing; I'm not masquerading as a hero."

"I'm not pretending to be anything either."

"C-can the b-b-both of you s-stop?" I asked quietly.

The two paused, shooting each other the darkest looks ever.

"Sorry, Flaky." they both mumbled.

I quickly grabbed Flippy's hand, awkwardly leading him from the cafeteria. It surprised me how little the people in school- the town for that matter- noticed; like they were completely unaware of important things that were happening around them. Like a fight getting ready to break out.

"F-Flippy..."

"Yeah?" he answered quietly, his voice now more reserved.

"S-Splendid's g-g-going to b-be at this p-party, so p-p-please"-

"I'll avoid him, Flakes. Don't worry."

Of course, I couldn't help but worry for the rest of the day.

* * *

Bam. Foreshadowing. Snarky Splendid. 0.0


	13. Waking Up To The Sky

I. AM. SO. SORRY.

Freshman year is so _**HECTIC!**_**** I can't believe how busy I was in the first two weeks! My apologies...

So, here's an update so you guys won't think I died or anything. I finally found some free time... I'm sorry if this seems rushed or if there's any mistakes or something.

Anyway... enjoy! ^.^;

~Infinity Guitars

* * *

When Opposites Attract - Chapter 13

* * *

"Hurry up, Flakes!"

"S-s-sorry"- I stammered, hurriedly following the two girls down the crowded hall, clutching my purse close to my side. The mall was extremely crowded; it seemed as if more people were there than the actual population of Happy Tree. Giggles had convinced me to go shopping with Petunia and herself, at least so I could know my way around the stores. It took days more of her pestering for me to comply; after lunch the previous week, Petunia seemed... different to me. And it made me uneasy.

Well, more than everything else did.

"We won't get anything at the rate we're walking. The mall's about to close." Petunia said, shooting me a look. I sped up, inwardly grumbling about my shorter legs. It wasn't fair that everyone else was taller than me- or that I was cursed with a petite height.

"Calm down Petunia, we're right here."

I looked up to see a store filled with girls around our age- all of them occupying one of the displays scattered around the floor. Each and every customer there was wearing some form of pink in an array of shades, spoke at 100 miles an hour, and at least squeaked once. It was then I realized that the store obviously wasn't for us- it was for _Giggles._ Why in the world would Petunia be in such a hurry to get here? She was far too serious for something so... _girlish. _

Giggles immediately skipped to the counter, speaking with the cashier for a moment, before she was brought back to the storeroom. I bit my lip, fiddling with the strap of my purse, feeling suddenly self conscious being left alone with Petunia. She was peering down at an assortment of eye makeup kits; most of them were Halloween themed.

"What're you going as, Flaky?" she asked suddenly, pulling me from my thoughts.

"A-ah, w-what?"-

She sighed exasperatedly, glancing over at me.

"For Giggles' party?"

"O-oh... I-I d-don't k-know..." I mumbled, my face turning red in embarrassment.

"Well, see anything you like?"

I studied the arrangement of makeup kits they had- every kit corresponded to a list of certain costume ideas. They were all organized by color; strangely I remembered them not being so neat and in order when we first entered the store. Petunia must have fixed them in under a minute or so. She coughed, indicating that I hurry up with my decision. Flustered, I pointed to the first and only red kit I saw, and she picked it up.

"Somehow, I'm not surprised, Flakes. But whatever, red's your thing." she said, holding up a blue kit. "How much money do you have left?"

"N-n-not enough t-to g-get that." I said, arching an eyebrow at the price. Fifteen dollars each for a stupid eye kit. It was obviously a rip off.

"I'll get it for you."

"W-what? Y-you d-don't have to"-

"I insist, Flaky." she smiled, and I instantly stopped talking. She barely smiled at me anymore. Maybe she was feeling bad about... well, she didn't do anything. But she definitely was acting differently- at least towards me.

"A-alright... but it's w-way too e-expensive"-

"That isn't a problem either."

And before I could ask why, she simply dropped both of the eye kits into her oversized purse, without even blinking. I gaped at her, feeling my heart almost jump from my chest. Nobody in the store noticed what had happened. Nobody except for me. Immediately, I felt my stomach drop, sensing that feeling of guilt begin to brew deep in my core. I hadn't stolen anything in my entire life, and even though Petunia was the one with the sticky fingers, I was responsible. I had to say something. I had to-

"Hey guys!"

I squeaked, snapping my attention to Giggles, who was holding a bag from the store. Her usually happy expression turned confused as she arched an eyebrow at me, before looking to Petunia.

"What's up with her?"

"_What's up with me? Why don't you ask the thief what her deal is?" _I thought, desperate to scrounge up the courage to at least speak up; but it never came. Instead, I remained silent, keeping a steady gaze on the carpeted floor, focusing on calming myself down.

"I dunno. But she's usually nervous anyway." She responded.

"Eh... whatever. Are you two ready to go?" she asked, smiling again.

"Yeah." Petunia said simply, shrugging.

I only nodded in agreement, and watched my legs carry me to the front of the store, my pulse sounding in my ears as we neared the entrance. Petunia easily crossed the threshold of the door, and I automatically flinched, expecting loads of alarms to sound, metal bars barricade the doors, an army of mall security to bear down on all of us, interrogating relentlessly until somebody (most likely me) broke down under the pressure. Instead, absolutely nothing happened; the mall wasn't put under a lockdown like I imagined. She had gotten away with it.

Exhaling, I shuffled anxiously behind Giggles, desperate to keep my distance from Petunia. I never would have imagined her as a thief. She was the oldest out of the three of us- the most mature when it came to anything, so calm and collected, intelligent... what would possess her to steal anything? To even commit a crime, petty or not, seemed way below her. Apparently it wasn't. I twiddled my thumbs, glancing over at the blue haired girl. What if I got in trouble for it? She stole the red makeup kit for me... in fact; the whole thing could get pinned on me. I could already see my sparkly clean record being ravaged by a misdemeanor.

"Oooh! The ice cream place is still open! I'll be back, you two!" Giggles squeaked, skipping off to the nearby ice cream kiosk in a blur of pink and ribbon.

And just like that; I was alone with her again. My legs stopped moving, and I stood in the middle of the walkway, some distance from Petunia. I couldn't bring myself to move, although I desperately wanted to run away. My breath hitched up as I felt her approach, and I squeezed my eyes shut, my knees starting to tremble as I struggled to stay upright.

"Flaky...?" she asked, all innocence.

"W-w-what?"- I stammered, my voice barely audible.

"Open your eyes."

"S-sorry, I c-can't"-

"I _said open your eyes!"_ she hissed, the pleasant tone to her voice instantly melting away. My eyes snapped open, and I held back a scream as the scene around us morphed into another. All the shoppers had fallen to the ground, blank and immobile as the walls toppled over like they were made of cardboard. There was nothing but darkness behind each wall, a simple empty void that led into nothingness.

"You should've said something..." Petunia snickered, her grin growing unnaturally wide as she tossed something into the air. It glinted a silvery metal, before clattering to the floor and skidding to my feet; a pair of handcuffs.

I bolted away from her, running in the opposite direction towards another one of the mall exits. The hallway stretched on forever, the door appearing farther away the faster I ran. The sound of my sneakers pounding against the floor echoed all around, even after I finally reached the door. I frantically grabbed the handle, pulling it with all my might, until the doors swung open, knocking me to the ground.

The hall was flooded with a searing bright light, causing me to squint involuntarily; I had to glance away from the door to keep from being blinded temporarily. A silhouette slowly stepped out of the light, until it was a yard away from me. I scrambled to my feet, rubbing my eyes and examining the figure again. It wasn't a person... more like a 3 dimensional shadow that only existed to frighten me.

"P-Please... l-l-leave me a-alone"-

Instead of doing as I asked, the shadow took one step towards me, causing some of the floor tiles around us to fall into an abyss. I instinctively took a few more steps backwards, feeling my blood run cold as the figure drew near, more tiles falling apart. I should have run the other way, but my fear cornered me- literally. I was trapped; if I tried to retreat any further, I would fall... and who knew what would be waiting for me at the bottom? If there even was one in existence.

Suddenly, I bumped into a cool, hard surface. Reaching behind myself, I discovered a metal table with files scattered across the top. Each file was filled to the bursting point with various documents and pictures... of me. My eyes widened as I looked over each one; every photograph was of me in the store- taking the kits.

"Why'd you do it, Flaky?" a voice behind me sounded.

I whirled around, and the figure reached up, pulling on a light switch that appeared from thin air. Everything was shrouded in darkness, until a bright floodlight flickered to light directly above us. The figure wasn't a shadow at all... it was a person. _Flippy._

His head was lowered, and all I could see under his tousled green hair was that smirk of his... although it held more of a menacing undertone to it. I trembled, attempting to reach out to him, only to be suddenly restrained. My eyes trailed down to the table leg, where the pair of handcuffs kept my left hand in place. No matter how much I struggled, the chain wouldn't break; I was too-

"Weak." he murmured, tilting his head up slightly, revealing the acid green eyes that I had grown to fear. I paled as he flashed a particularly heart stopping grin; his canines a bit sharper than normal. "You're so weak, Flaky."

"W-what d-d-do y-you"-

"You know what I mean." he interrupted, holding up a photograph. I glanced away, and he smirked, grabbing my chin and forcefully turning it to face the picture. "Too weak to say no, _far_ too weak to tell somebody the truth..."

"I-I-I"- I mumbled, unable to form a coherent sentence; I was way too scared.

"Too weak to speak up..." he said, a dark smile playing at the corners of his mouth. He leaned close, positioning his lips right in front of my ear. "Speak up, Flakes..." he whispered, sending chills down my spine. How could he still affect me like this, even when he terrified me?

"B-But"-

"_I couldn't quite hear you!" _he shouted, his voice impossibly loud, and I jumped in shock, attempting to regain my balance, careful to avoid the edges of the tile I stood on. Most of them had fallen out of existence, and I was left with little space. Flippy laughed, his voice dripping with menace, tapping a button on the handcuffs, gravity sending them down below into the void.

"Ladies and gentleman of the jury, have we reached a verdict?" Another voice shrilled. It was Petunia's, although she was nowhere to be seen. Suddenly, another floodlight snapped on, revealing a long maple bench, everyone I knew perched on the edge with hardened expressions on their faces. They all looked at me as if I disgusted them, and Giggles stood up, the evil grin on her mouth looking extremely out of place.

"It was unanimous. We find Flaky Porcupine guilty on all charges." she sneered. They all stood from their seats, sticking out their thumbs and pointing them down towards the abyss with a turn of the hand. My pulse quickened threefold, and my vision blurred as I frantically turned back to Flippy, my eyes flooding with tears.

"P-p-please! D-don't!"

"And she speaks now... how unfortunate. You're far too late." he said, his voice laced with amusement. He uncrossed his arms, revealing a freshly sharpened knife, the blade glinting under the floodlight. "But, since I like you so much," he said sarcastically, making my heart clench bitterly, "You get to choose how it ends. Take the fall, or take the knife?"

"The k-knife"- I answered a bit too quickly. He blinked, arching an eyebrow at me.

"Why? The other way would be less painful." he said, confusion and curiosity glinting in his bizarre eyes.

I shook my head, keeping my mouth shut. This obviously irritated him, and he grabbed my arm, tugging me closer. I stumbled onto the last tile, the one I stood on a moment before shattering into pieces, and I bit my lip to keep from speaking. I couldn't possibly respond now; but it was shocking to me that I'd actually be worried about embarrassment at that moment.

"Answer me." he growled.

When I didn't, his grip tightened on my wrist immensely, and I yelped in pain, certain my arm was already beginning to bruise.

"You're only making this worse for yourself. Answer me." he repeated, his voice somehow growing colder.

"N-no..." I muttered, before I froze in shock; I had never defied him so bluntly before. His eyes flashed, and immediately he had the blade pressed to my neck.

"Wrong answer, Flakes."

With one swift motion, the knife was dragged across my throat, followed by the most searing pain I had ever experienced in my life. I couldn't bring myself to scream, I was in so much agony. Warm blood ran down my neck, and I felt myself tilting back, towards the emptiness below. Meanwhile, the chanting of the others filled my ears; all of their accusations and insults circulating in my head. My descent increased in speed, the air whipping around me as I fell to my fate. All because I was so-

"_Weak."_

I burst upright from my bed, screaming at the top of my lungs. I was in my dark room, my skin covered in a sheen of cold sweat, my unruly hair sticking to my forehead, all of my pillows and blankets sprawled out onto the floor. My heart was beating a mile a minute, and air didn't come easily to me as I inhaled as deeply as I could. Quickly standing up, I bumped into my desk, knocking over the makeup kit that was sitting there. Petunia had bought it for me a few days before... she wouldn't steal anything. I staggered out into the hall, fumbling over the wall for the light switch.

I finally managed to flick it on; stepping into my bathroom and flinging open the medicine cabinet, popping open the bottle of pills, attempting to shake two out into my palm. My trembling hand didn't make the task any easier for me, and the bottle fell from my hands, landing on the counter of the sink, pills scattering everywhere. Tears springing to my eyes, I quickly salvaged the small capsules that didn't land on the ground, popping two into my mouth and swallowing them without water. The pills were dry and took forever to travel down my throat as I leaned against the wall, sliding down to sit onto the cold tile floor.

_Night Terrors. _This is what happened to me sometimes if I forgot to take my medication before bed. The nightmares I had as a result were vivid and extremely terrifying. But the thing was, I was more scared of the answer I almost gave before I awoke, instead of the dream itself. Pressing my face into my hands, I began to cry, my sobs quivering slightly every time I trembled involuntarily. I chose the knife because he would be the last one I saw before my death.

Even if he was the one who caused it.

* * *

Bam. An update.

[Explanation: Flaky was scared over her answer because she wasn't expecting her feelings for Flippy to be so strong]

Note: I'm _still _working on the final chapter of my threeshot; **Breakdown, **so keep an eye out for that as well. It should be out soon. c:


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